The CMO's MO: Agoda's global CMO on why the future of travel is hyper-local

Meet Matteo Frigerio. He's not your average CMO. He's a self-proclaimed "flag nerd" who somehow blends the precision of an engineer with the heart of a storyteller. As travel roars back to life, he's facing a challenge at Agoda: how do you connect with millions of people across Asia, each with their own unique culture and dreams of adventure? "It's like throwing a party where everyone from 20 different countries feels welcome," he says.

For Frigerio, it's not just about clicks and bookings. It's about understanding what travel means now. It's about tapping into that yearning for deeper, more meaningful experiences—what some call "intentional travel." And with APAC's online travel market set to explode (10% annual growth, according to Phocuswright), the pressure is on.

Frigerio's background is a bit unusual. He started as a strategist at Boston Consulting Group, then spent the last decade at travel platform Agoda, moving from product development to marketing leadership. This experience has given him a unique perspective. He's all about using data to tell better stories, an approach he's been honing for years as technology has reshaped the marketing landscape. He talks about taking one ad campaign with Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana and transforming it into 250 personalised versions. That's the power of AI for Agoda under Matteo's guidance. It's also how he's managed to cut production time by a mind-blowing 86%.

In this exclusive interview with Campaign Asia-Pacific, Frigerio shares his vision for the future of travel marketing. He talks about everything from the rise of "serendipity" in how we discover travel destinations to the surprising link between his love of flags and building a global brand. It's a sparkling glimpse into the mind of a marketing leader who wishes to rewrite the rules in a world where algorithms and authenticity somehow have to coexist.

Take a read:

1. Talk about the single biggest challenge and opportunity facing your brand in 2025, and how are you preparing to address both? 

It's the classic global-local balancing act. APAC’s online travel market is booming—Phocuswright projects 10% annual growth for the foreseeable future. People are travelling more, spending more, and spending more time booking online. That’s a huge opportunity, but here’s the catch: what works in Bangkok won’t necessarily fly in Tokyo or Hyderabad.   

So, we’ve got to be scalable, but also adapt to local customer preferences. It’s like trying to host a party that feels intimate and fun even though there are guests from 20 different countries there. We’re making sure we offer exactly what travelers in each market want, whether it’s local payment methods or marketing that speaks their language -both literally and figuratively!   

2. Which marketing capabilities are you prioritising for investment in 2025, and which areas are you scaling back?

We’re doubling down on AI-powered video creation. The dream is to produce hundreds of hyper-localised, inspiring videos that resonate with users across markets—with minimal human intervention. Think of it as a content assembly line, but with creativity and personality baked in.  

We’re also diving deeper into using generative AI for analysing our campaigns and experiments. Newer LLM models like ChatGPT o1 can make our teams more efficient in data crunching, which can be hugely time consuming, so that they can focus on the important stuff such as being even more creative.   

As for cuts, we’re scaling back on organic social media targeting. We’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that going viral is exciting but unpredictable. It's a lot like catching lightning in a bottle—great if it happens, but not a solid strategy. Paid campaigns are where we see more consistent and measurable results.

3. How is generative AI changing your marketing strategy? Share a specific examples of its impact on a recent campaign or initiative. 

Generative AI has been a game-changer for us over the last one and a half years. Our creative team went from dabbling in the technology to being fully-fledged AI ninjas, mastering all sorts of tools that can create high-quality, engaging videos faster than you can say “hyper-localised content.” We’ve seen a 86% reduction in the time it takes to go from concept to video adaptation. The result is a massively increased ability to test and optimise creatives to different markets and audiences.  

And the real magic is localisation at scale. We worked with Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, our brand ambassador in India, to turn one video into over 250 customised ads. Each one was tailored to a specific city, making it feel like we were talking directly to the viewer about their next travel adventure. Gen AI handled everything—language, visuals, even aspect ratios—at lightning speed.

Agoda's marketing team on an offsite

4. What emerging technology or trend will have the biggest impact on marketing in APAC over the next two years? How are you preparing for it? 

The biggest shift is the move away from traditional search engines to algorithm-driven discovery on platforms like TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Consumers are no longer searching for information—it’s finding them based on their behaviour.

Advertising on these platforms is still evolving, and big brands haven’t cracked the code yet. That’s where the opportunity lies. At Agoda, we’re experimenting with content tailored to this “serendipity-first” approach. Combine that with AI-powered localisation, and the potential to engage consumers in new ways is enormous.

5. A brand (not yours) with exceptional customer experience that inspires you? Why?

I’m a sucker for innovation, and Waymo blew my mind earlier this year. Imagine being picked up by a driverless taxi that knows exactly what to do, even when a pedestrian jumps out in front of the car. The car reacted like a pro—smooth, precise, and safe. But what impressed me more was how Waymo handled everything around that experience. They preempted any concerns, gave me a reassuring onboarding guide, and even personalized the light on top of the car with my initials and color of my choice. It was like some kind of futuristic VIP treatment. At one point, I even tried chatting with the AI driver, who didn’t answer, to my disappointment. I think we are maybe only one year away from that. Waymo made something futuristic feel familiar and personal, and that’s exactly the kind of magic we aim for at Agoda.  

6. What's your go-to source of creative inspiration when you're feeling stuck—a book, movie, artist, or even a place?  

Just a CMO, his AI tools, and a dream of faraway places. Photo: AI image generated by Matteo

When I’m feeling stuck, I’ve got a secret weapon: AI tools. For visuals, I play around on Midjourney to create stunning, dream-like images that can often spark new ideas. For videos, it’s RunwayML all the way—it’s amazing how quickly you can whip up something eye-catching. But my personal favourite has to be Suno. I’ve started making custom birthday songs for friends and colleagues, and it’s become my go-to party trick. When I’m in a more serious mood, I turn to NotebookLM. It’s perfect for turning dense research papers into podcasts, letting me absorb complex ideas without getting bogged down by heavy text. If you haven’t played around with these tools, I highly recommend it. They’re like having a whole creative team in your pocket, ready to bring new ideas to life.  

7. What needs to change about your sector's working culture?

Less marketing "guru" fluff, more data-driven experimentation. I’d love to see us ditch the buzzwords and get back to being curious, experimenting, and—dare I say—having a little fun when trying out new ideas and see what really works.  

We live by "Be a Scientist, Experiment & Measure" approach. And this is not about pretending to have all the answers but about asking the right questions. Everyone here has hypotheses, but we treat them like puzzles to solve. There’s nothing better than seeing conventional wisdom fall flat and finding nuggets of insight where you least expect to see them. More of this mindset across the industry would mean less noise, more real progress, and honestly, a lot more fun.  

8. One piece of advice for aspiring APAC marketing leaders?

Two things: first, become best friends with data. I’m talking SQL, Tableau, statistics—you name it. Marketing isn’t just about clever campaigns; it’s about understanding what really works, pivoting and proving it. I use these tools daily, and trust me, they’re game-changers.  

Second, remember that career success is a bit of luck, but you can always increase your chances. Think of it as maximising your “luck surface area”—the more people you know, the more meaningful conversations you have, the more opportunities you’ll find. So, get out there, network, and make sure people know who you are. Sometimes the best opportunities come from the most unexpected connections.    

9. A hidden talent, passion, or personal trivia?

Okay, here’s a quirky one: I’m a bit of a flag nerd. Think Sheldon from Big Bang Theory and “Fun with Flags." I can rattle off flags with pink or explain the subtle differences between Chad's and Romania's. Flags are fascinating, simple designs that tell stories about history, culture and identity. They are the original branding—symbols that unite people with just a few colours and shapes. And the Five Principles of Good Flags totally apply to logo design and other aspects of marketing creatives.