What’s the Difference Between Influencer Marketing in Latin America and Southeast Asia, Both Emerging Markets?

As more Chinese brands expand globally, Latin America and Southeast Asia have become two key “traffic hotspots.” Both regions share several characteristics—young demographics, high social media engagement, and widespread mobile internet usage. However, they differ significantly in content styles, influencer preferences, cultural aesthetics, and platform ecosystems.

If you’re still using the same playbook for both markets, you might be working twice as hard for half the results.

1. Cultural Differences Are the Underlying Logic Behind Influencer Content Styles

Southeast Asian cultures generally lean toward “Eastern aesthetics.” Most countries in the region are deeply influenced by religion (e.g., Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country), with societies that tend to be conservative, family-oriented, and value humility.

In contrast, although Latin America is predominantly Catholic, it is heavily influenced by Western values. People are more expressive, body-positive, emotionally direct, and content tends to have a more intense pace and tone.

This cultural background shapes influencer content in very different ways:

• Indonesia and Malaysia favor positive, educational, and down-to-earth content

• Mexico and Brazil lean toward emotional, performative, and dramatic storytelling

  
  

2. Influencer Types Compared: Who Performs Best in Each Market?

Content Type	Southeast Asia Preference	Key Influencer	Latin America Preference	Key Influencer
Education / Utility	Tutorials, educational content	@jeromepolin (Indonesian math influencer)	Skit-based teaching, entertaining	@juanpazurita (all-round content creator, Mexico)
Drama / Comedy	Local language skits, family-oriented content	@fadiljaidi (father-son comedy, Indonesia)	Romantic storylines, roleplay, plot twists	@gkay (queen of short skits, Brazil)
Fashion / Beauty	Casual, modest, practical style	@aurelie.hermansyah (Indonesian celebrity)	Bold, sexy style with intense makeup and colors	@keniaos (fashion influencer, Mexico)
Dance / Challenges	Traditional or wholesome dance content	@kaykai_ntch (Thailand)	Sexy or couple dance challenges	@domelipa (dance TikToker, Mexico)
Gaming	Live + local-language jokes	Mobile Legends creators (Indonesia)	Challenge-based, entertaining clips	Free Fire creators (Brazil)

3. Key Country Comparison (Platform Ecosystem + Influencers + Strategy Tips)

Indonesia (TikTok rules, emotionally resonant content performs best)

• User preferences: Local language, familiar tone, authentic and value-driven content

• Top influencers:

  • @jeromepolin (educational content)

  • @fadiljaidi (family mini-dramas)

• Strategy tip: Whether the product is educational, utility-based, or entertainment-related, content should be localized, positive, and family-friendly.KOLs should be relatable, speak the local language, and use real-life scenarios to convey product value.

Vietnam (the land of viral tutorials, efficiency-driven)

• User preferences: Practical tutorials, tip-based short videos, quick feature highlights

• Top influencer:

  • @chuthanhdat (video editing tutorials)

• Strategy tip:Emphasize efficiency and clear outcomes like “becoming more beautiful/stronger/smarter.” Use short, snappy tutorials to highlight product benefits.Collaborations should include challenges, skill demos, or before/after comparisons to boost engagement.

Mexico (diverse content, strong emphasis on storytelling)

• User preferences: Story-driven, character-based, emotional content

• Top influencers:

  • @domelipa (couple dance challenges)

  • @juanpazurita (versatile creator blending humor and social causes)

• Strategy tip:Whether it’s a social app or a functional product, wrap it in character relationships or emotional plot twists.Make content dramatic, contrasting, and able to evoke empathy or debate.

Brazil (high-energy market, driven by visuals and emotions)

• User preferences: Bright colors, fast rhythm, strong expressive style

• Top influencers:

  • @gkay (queen of fast-paced dramatic skits)

  • @virginia (family + beauty + lifestyle content)

• Strategy tip:Whether you're promoting tools, games, AI, or beauty, content should be packed with visual impact, exaggerated emotions, and humorous twists.Include elements like contrast, challenges, and group interactions in your script.

4. Micro-Influencers vs Celebrities: Strategies Must Be Region-Specific

Region	KOC (Micro-influencers)	KOL (Mid-tier)	Celebrities / Top Influencers
Southeast Asia	✅ High ROI, strong conversions	Balanced branding & sales	⚠️ Must control cost
Latin America	❌ Limited influence	✅ Core force	✅ Strong emotional resonance, viral potential

Examples:

• Indonesia: @tante_rempong (mom-style KOC) excels at promoting parenting products

• Brazil: @gkay can trigger app download spikes with just one viral skit

  
  

✅ 5. Conclusion: One Market, One Strategy – Don’t Use Indonesia’s Playbook for Mexico

• Southeast Asia users value trust and practicality. The content pace is slower, but conversions are steady.

• Latin American users value personality and emotion. The content is more exaggerated, but the viral potential is higher.

If a brand can tailor its content style to the market, choose the right influencers, and tell the right stories, they can maximize ROI from their influencer campaigns.

About Light Digital Agency

We are an agency focused on helping Chinese brands execute influencer marketing campaigns across Southeast Asia and Latin America. Since our founding in 2022, we’ve successfully supported numerous Chinese companies—including ByteDance and PUBG—in building brand awareness and driving results in both regions.