Global internet users have hit 6 billion, and in Malaysia, penetration is at 98%. But the real story isn't connectivity, it's how we find information. The "entry point" to the internet has shifted: TikTok is now the first layer of discovery, while ChatGPT serves as an "answer engine," creating a "no-click" environment where users get synthesized answers without ever visiting a website.

Mimrah Mahmood, VP of Enterprise APAC at Meltwater, joins BFM to unpack their Digital 2026 Global Overview Report. We discuss why brands must optimise content for machines (LLMs) just as much as humans, and how Malaysian consumers, spending over 41 hours a week online, are navigating this new landscape.

We discuss:

• The "No-Click" Threat: How Generative AI collapses the research journey. Mimrah explains that instead of visiting multiple websites, users now get synthesized answers, forcing brands to optimize for "Answer Engines."

• Social Search vs. Google: Why platforms like TikTok and YouTube have become the "entree" to discovery for Malaysians, while Google is retained for the "main course" of verification.

• The "Calculators" of Content: Why LLMs aren't smart, they are just calculators. Mimrah explains why proper HTML tagging and structured data are crucial if you want your brand to be visible to AI models. **

• The "Blended" Behaviour: How consumers fluidly switch between AI for exploration and traditional search for confirmation.

• The Death of Viral Reach: Why social media behavior is moving into private feeds (Dark Social) and why reach is now a "data problem," not a volume problem.

• Platform Wars: TikTok as a "Cultural Operating System," WhatsApp as a service layer, and the surprise entry of RedNote as a channel to watch.

• The 41-Hour Week: With Malaysians spending 41 hours online weekly, Mimrah argues that "digital maturity" demands rigorous consumer journey mapping over broadcasting.

Produced by: Roshan Kanesan

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan

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Categories:  technology,  Corporates

Tags:  AI search,  digital marketing,  seo,  social media trends,  consumer behaviour,  marketing strategy,