Oban International

18/06/2026

In e-commerce, Q4 performance can look very strong on the surface. Revenue is up, ROAS looks healthy, and traffic is increasing 📈

⚠️ But in busy trading periods, good-looking numbers don’t always mean the business is performing better in a real, lasting way.

In our latest article, we’ve outlined some of the most common Q4 illusions we see. These include timing effects, discount-led growth, attribution issues, and engagement signals that can look like demand but are not always new demand.

The main point is to look beyond headline metrics and understand what is causing them 💭

If you’re planning for peak season, it’s worth asking whether your results reflect genuine growth or just seasonal effects.

Read the full piece here: https://buff.ly/G2VlxaD

Revenue up? ROAS looking strong? Learn how Q4 can create misleading signals in e-commerce and how to separate real growth from illusion.

17/06/2026

Thailand’s digital market moves fast - but speed alone isn’t enough ⏱️

LINE, TikTok, Shopee and Lazada all play a role in how consumers discover, validate and buy. For brands, trust is built through quick replies, clear information and frictionless ex*****on 🛍️✅

Our latest country profile explores what international brands need to know about marketing in this fast-moving, platform-led economy.

Read it in full here: https://buff.ly/tg2MeWx

15/06/2026

The latest version of the Global Peace Index has been released 🕊️🌍

This annual report is the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness. Each country is ranked based on 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.

⭐️ Iceland has held the #1 spot since 2008. Their expectional performance is underpinned by the absence of a standing military, very low crime rates, and strong social cohesion.

⬇️ The United Kingdom ranks #39, having dropped 9 places since last year.

You can read the full report here: https://www.economicsandpeace.org/global-peace-index/

11/06/2026

A few photos from last week's summer retreat 🥂☀️

This get-together is always one of the highlights of our year - a brilliant day of relaxing and catching up, followed by a fantastic evening with great food and our annual awards ceremony.

Same time next year? ❤️

09/06/2026

In e-commerce, Q4 doesn’t get decided in Q4 🗓️ By the time peak season arrives, most of the conditions are already set. What matters then is how well everything is working together.

Our latest article looks at the levers that really drive e-commerce performance when things get busy: data, creative, media, feeds, and on-site experience ✅

If you’re planning for peak season, the full article is worth a read: https://buff.ly/AvW2i22

Q4 success starts with the fundamentals. Explore the key levers across data, creative, and media that drive e-commerce performance.

28/05/2026

Google’s AI Search announcements at I/O 2026 point to a clear shift in how search will work over the next few years 🔍️✨️

Search is moving beyond showing links and towards systems that can recommend options, compare information and take actions on a user’s behalf. That changes what visibility means for brands, especially in international markets.

Visibility increasingly depends on whether your brand is understood, trusted and included in the information AI systems draw on when shaping answers, not just where it ranks for keywords.

We have explored what this means for international growth, localisation and SEO in our latest article 🌍📈

Read it here: https://buff.ly/8LACe7N

Interested in how others are thinking about this, particularly around localisation and how discovery changes when AI becomes part of the journey - leave a comment below 👇️

Google’s AI Search overhaul signals a shift from rankings to AI recommendation, changing how brands are discovered, trusted and chosen.

27/05/2026

🎉 We're finalists at the UK Content Awards!

Our first edition of Viewpoints has been shortlisted for B2B Campaign of the Year. Keep your fingers crossed for us! 🤞
. .

Viewpoints: How AI is reshaping B2B marketing – through the eyes of the experts isn't another dull AI maual. These are the conversations you actually *want* to read. Our free guide takes you inside the decisions, debates and dilemmas that shape modern B2B marketing. AI is everywhere, but this is about what it really means, told by the experts 💡

Haven't read it yet? Download your free copy now: https://buff.ly/TH5wbxc

21/05/2026

We recently attended the Walpole British Luxury Summit and came away with a clear sense of where pressure is building across luxury 🛍️ Growth is slower, consumers are more deliberate, and the old assumptions around price and positioning are being tested.

From repositioning to the rise of AI in discovery, the thread running through the day was the same: brands are being pulled back towards clarity, focus and a more defined sense of what they stand for 💡

Demand is intact, but the conditions around it are changing.

Read the full article on our blog:

14/05/2026

Most e-commerce retailers know that Q4 success starts early 🗓️🛍️

But knowing that and knowing what to look out for are two different things 🤔

Search behaviour, marketplace activity, social content, and AI-generated summaries are already shaping demand long before peak season arrives.

In our latest article, we break down the key signals to watch across SEO, UX, paid media and operations, and how they connect to performance when it matters most.

Want to make this year’s Q4 your best yet? Read it here: https://buff.ly/EThCnxD

Explore the signals across customer behaviour, SEO, UX and paid media that help e-commerce brands shape demand before peak season.

08/05/2026

We can't quite believe it's been a whole week since our amazing Laura was on the main stage at BrightonSEO! 👏

Her talk offered practical insight into what remains measurable in today’s digital landscape, along with guidance on how to discuss the shifting value of different data points with clients and stakeholders 💡

Couldn't make it? You can find her slides here: https://speakerdeck.com/lauramcinley/no-clicks-no-problem-how-to-handle-reporting-when-the-traditional-numbers-keep-going-down