Asians are consistently inconsistent
May 15, 2006 | 12:00am
A substantive look at the hopes and dreams of people in Asia was recently released by the Grey Global Group. It builds out from the highly successful "Eye on Australia," a 14-year-old study consistently picked up at the government and national media levels as an annual predictor of trends. Grey and Millward Brown, led by Grey’s regional chief strategy officer Chris Beaumont, conducted a mix of quantitative and qualitative research in 12 countries (including the Philippines) around the region, covering 4,400 interviews with Asian adults age 18 and above, and backed up by extensive secondary research. The group also undertook nearly 200 in-depth ethnographic interviews, actually entering the respondents’ world trying to better understand behavior and culture.
Dubbed as Eye on Asia (EOA), the research determines the powerful underlying trends and human truths that will shape branding and communications today, and in the future. It gives insights into how to speak to the Asian community in a way that is disarming and meaningful.
EOA focuses on three areas: First is the understanding of their hopes, dreams, and biggest need states. Second, it examines the fundamental building blocks of a great brand. And, third it looks at what they are looking for in advertising and marketing. Despite earlier fears of globalization, the study reveals how Asia is moving in a different direction, as every individual triumphs, and becomes more significant.
EOA reveals that marketing communications needs are changing quite fundamentally in the area, leading to a paradoxical principle that to grow brands across the new Asia you need to be consistently inconsistent. This means that there is an Asian consumer and there is no Asian consumer. It is a region that can’t be averaged, and where cultural relevance is key. Foreign brands can be present, but they need to have a local heart. In this environment, family is consistently important yet the family structure itself is inconsistent. Values – cultural, moral, religious, aesthetic – are being breached and re-examined across the region.
People want memorable and entertaining advertising, not convoluted messages. However, they respond differently to marketing and advertising stimulus as local culture, values, religious beliefs and aspirations dominate. For example, while it is a heroic assumption to presume that the region is homogenous, the emergence of individualism is getting stronger.
Increasingly, Asian consumers will no longer buy brands based on social conformity, but on how they feel these brands match their self-image. Thus, loyalty to brands acquires another meaning. Brands will no longer be bought because they "have always been bought," but how they complement the buyer’s persona.
Openness to what is new has expanded in Asia. There is a spirit of adventure in creating their future, a great aspiration for self-improvement and creativity in lifestyle. The people of Asia are looking for symbols, deeper emotions and psychological benefits in their lives.
As daily life for Asians becomes more complex, there is a desire for living to be simpler, more caring, and freer. Modern life is more luxurious but it’s also cold, pressurized and unnatural. Paradoxically, there is also a feeling that people have to be more competitive. Ideal living translates to escape, a strong individual desire, especially in the context of the heightened energy of many major Asian cities. Goals in Asia seem to follow the metrics associated with success in the western world, dreaming of greater abundance with fewer worries about money and security. This is especially true in regard to the need to manage the conflict between work (and a commitment to succeed), and the time spent with the family, as Asians seek to develop themselves. Yet this personal improvement is strongly linked to a notion that "my country has to improve too."
Ideal life in the future for most Asians translates to well-being. It is the top ranked (97 percent) aspiration across all age groups except those who are 55 and above. It’s true for both genders, and for 18 to 24 year olds, is as important as hobbies and interests. It’s interesting to note though that working shorter hours or retiring and doing nothing much, come way down the list. They are streamlining as well. There is a concern that their lives are fragmenting, exacerbated by heightened pressure from poverty in some countries, but increasingly "time poverty," especially in urban centers. Asians respond positively to things that simplify. They don’t desire simple lives as such, but to focus on the priorities that enrich.
The family is the foundation for peoples’ aspirations. Ninety-three percent would like to spend more time with their families, as family time is seen at a premium across the region. They assert that time is a non-renewable resource that people are increasingly finding in short supply. The speed that modern living brings is polluting many cities, creating noise and security worries, and is driving some people to reassess their lifestyles.
Most Asians have a fascination with technology because it is a symbol of advancement. Nokia, for example, is widely recognized across the region in both inspirational and aspirational manner. It has understood that the "mobile community" is more about "community" than "mobile", and as such is a positive enabler of change.
To connect to Asians, marketers must face up to the fact that they are getting more powerful as consumers, they are increasingly embracing and demanding change as evidence of progress. This is an important point that brands need to understand and can leverage, not only from the perspective of the brand character, but also critically in regard to how messages are managed to create a mosaic of brand experiences at different touch points.
Asians create a dialogue rather than a monologue, recognizing they have a choice and a wish to be more in control. With multiple communications channels available, marketers must focus their communications connections and narrowcast the message. EOA suggests that they must always talk to the target community from the perspective of their personal concerns; feed their desire to be empowered; talk to them in a tone, a manner and an environment that demonstrates accessibility. They must also get involved, maintain personal dialogues, and project a sense of consumer advocacy and social responsibility when conveying the message of personal drive.
In brand building, Asians want brands they can trust, are easy to remember, engaging and innovative. Mass local brands often do better because they are seen to perform against the three basics (trust, ease and innovation) by people who use them. Perceived brand value will be increasingly driven not just by price or service, but also by issues like the environment, health and labor conditions as these are becoming more important to people. The role of the Internet makes information readily available, so as brands try to gain trust, ethical considerations likewise become as important. The bigger brands in particular have to be more sensitive to consumer pressure through "word-of-mouth" or "word-of-mouse," as they attract attention.
In the near term, only 53 percent of Asians feel that companies that sell products do so in a world-class way. They are receptive to brand and advertising messages (63 percent), yes, but it doesn’t mean they feel those same brands are connecting effectively with them. Brands and their communications will benefit from projecting a sense of modernity for sure, since modernity has an uplifting positive side. But brands need to be honest about modernity. It also has a negative side. And to be credible, brands must understand this balance.
About 62 percent of people think that marketers throughout the Asia Pacific region are doing a good job overall. Asians like advertising and are receptive to what marketers do. The evaluation of marketers’ performance tends to correlate with how Asians measure their country’s brands and advertising on a global benchmark. Global advertisers and local advertisers alike need to think of self-regulation. Seventy-seven percent call for limitation and regulation on advertising and marketing. With the underlying optimism in the region there is so much goodwill to build on. However, clutter combined with cultural insensitivities could quickly turn the tide on the current goodwill.
So what is the prognosis of EOA relative to the challenging task of brand building? First, there is a need to really understand brand character. The consumer is king and getting their attention is increasingly difficult. Audiences are splintering as people use different kinds of media, on their own terms. Second, to break through in the cluttered environment the brand story needs to be told better and told more clearly than ever before. This means the brand experience has to be sharper and more meaningful, at all contact opportunities. The choice of new products and services is multiplying, but at the same time consumers have become more skeptical about product claims. Their ability to get information about whatever they want, whenever they want, has given shoppers unprecedented strength. In this era of personal choice, customisation and differentiation will be imperatives.
Third, marketing programs need to be designed, developed and implemented consistent with targeting and brand messaging, ensuring that the content reflects the context of the connection. This brand-new world, which everybody seems to think is about information and knowledge, is really about imagination. It is the idea that matters. Marketers need to build a greater intimacy with consumers.
Fourth, as brand custodians, marketers need to understand human vulnerability, emotions and optimism to really connect. There is a famous quote from Calne which says "emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusion."
Fifth, winning the race for the future of brands requires a leadership that will provide focus and clarity, and a deep sense of restlessness with the status-quo. Growing and building competitive advantage is not simply being better but being different. As such, strategy requires choices. Marketing power comes from specialization and focus.
To grow strong and competitive brands across the new Asia, marketers need to be consistently inconsistent. It is a delight and a challenge that the future is less predictable.
E-mail bongo@vasia.com or bongo@campaignsandgrey.net for comments, questions and suggestions. Thank you for communicating.
Dubbed as Eye on Asia (EOA), the research determines the powerful underlying trends and human truths that will shape branding and communications today, and in the future. It gives insights into how to speak to the Asian community in a way that is disarming and meaningful.
EOA focuses on three areas: First is the understanding of their hopes, dreams, and biggest need states. Second, it examines the fundamental building blocks of a great brand. And, third it looks at what they are looking for in advertising and marketing. Despite earlier fears of globalization, the study reveals how Asia is moving in a different direction, as every individual triumphs, and becomes more significant.
EOA reveals that marketing communications needs are changing quite fundamentally in the area, leading to a paradoxical principle that to grow brands across the new Asia you need to be consistently inconsistent. This means that there is an Asian consumer and there is no Asian consumer. It is a region that can’t be averaged, and where cultural relevance is key. Foreign brands can be present, but they need to have a local heart. In this environment, family is consistently important yet the family structure itself is inconsistent. Values – cultural, moral, religious, aesthetic – are being breached and re-examined across the region.
People want memorable and entertaining advertising, not convoluted messages. However, they respond differently to marketing and advertising stimulus as local culture, values, religious beliefs and aspirations dominate. For example, while it is a heroic assumption to presume that the region is homogenous, the emergence of individualism is getting stronger.
Increasingly, Asian consumers will no longer buy brands based on social conformity, but on how they feel these brands match their self-image. Thus, loyalty to brands acquires another meaning. Brands will no longer be bought because they "have always been bought," but how they complement the buyer’s persona.
Openness to what is new has expanded in Asia. There is a spirit of adventure in creating their future, a great aspiration for self-improvement and creativity in lifestyle. The people of Asia are looking for symbols, deeper emotions and psychological benefits in their lives.
As daily life for Asians becomes more complex, there is a desire for living to be simpler, more caring, and freer. Modern life is more luxurious but it’s also cold, pressurized and unnatural. Paradoxically, there is also a feeling that people have to be more competitive. Ideal living translates to escape, a strong individual desire, especially in the context of the heightened energy of many major Asian cities. Goals in Asia seem to follow the metrics associated with success in the western world, dreaming of greater abundance with fewer worries about money and security. This is especially true in regard to the need to manage the conflict between work (and a commitment to succeed), and the time spent with the family, as Asians seek to develop themselves. Yet this personal improvement is strongly linked to a notion that "my country has to improve too."
Ideal life in the future for most Asians translates to well-being. It is the top ranked (97 percent) aspiration across all age groups except those who are 55 and above. It’s true for both genders, and for 18 to 24 year olds, is as important as hobbies and interests. It’s interesting to note though that working shorter hours or retiring and doing nothing much, come way down the list. They are streamlining as well. There is a concern that their lives are fragmenting, exacerbated by heightened pressure from poverty in some countries, but increasingly "time poverty," especially in urban centers. Asians respond positively to things that simplify. They don’t desire simple lives as such, but to focus on the priorities that enrich.
The family is the foundation for peoples’ aspirations. Ninety-three percent would like to spend more time with their families, as family time is seen at a premium across the region. They assert that time is a non-renewable resource that people are increasingly finding in short supply. The speed that modern living brings is polluting many cities, creating noise and security worries, and is driving some people to reassess their lifestyles.
Most Asians have a fascination with technology because it is a symbol of advancement. Nokia, for example, is widely recognized across the region in both inspirational and aspirational manner. It has understood that the "mobile community" is more about "community" than "mobile", and as such is a positive enabler of change.
To connect to Asians, marketers must face up to the fact that they are getting more powerful as consumers, they are increasingly embracing and demanding change as evidence of progress. This is an important point that brands need to understand and can leverage, not only from the perspective of the brand character, but also critically in regard to how messages are managed to create a mosaic of brand experiences at different touch points.
Asians create a dialogue rather than a monologue, recognizing they have a choice and a wish to be more in control. With multiple communications channels available, marketers must focus their communications connections and narrowcast the message. EOA suggests that they must always talk to the target community from the perspective of their personal concerns; feed their desire to be empowered; talk to them in a tone, a manner and an environment that demonstrates accessibility. They must also get involved, maintain personal dialogues, and project a sense of consumer advocacy and social responsibility when conveying the message of personal drive.
In brand building, Asians want brands they can trust, are easy to remember, engaging and innovative. Mass local brands often do better because they are seen to perform against the three basics (trust, ease and innovation) by people who use them. Perceived brand value will be increasingly driven not just by price or service, but also by issues like the environment, health and labor conditions as these are becoming more important to people. The role of the Internet makes information readily available, so as brands try to gain trust, ethical considerations likewise become as important. The bigger brands in particular have to be more sensitive to consumer pressure through "word-of-mouth" or "word-of-mouse," as they attract attention.
In the near term, only 53 percent of Asians feel that companies that sell products do so in a world-class way. They are receptive to brand and advertising messages (63 percent), yes, but it doesn’t mean they feel those same brands are connecting effectively with them. Brands and their communications will benefit from projecting a sense of modernity for sure, since modernity has an uplifting positive side. But brands need to be honest about modernity. It also has a negative side. And to be credible, brands must understand this balance.
About 62 percent of people think that marketers throughout the Asia Pacific region are doing a good job overall. Asians like advertising and are receptive to what marketers do. The evaluation of marketers’ performance tends to correlate with how Asians measure their country’s brands and advertising on a global benchmark. Global advertisers and local advertisers alike need to think of self-regulation. Seventy-seven percent call for limitation and regulation on advertising and marketing. With the underlying optimism in the region there is so much goodwill to build on. However, clutter combined with cultural insensitivities could quickly turn the tide on the current goodwill.
So what is the prognosis of EOA relative to the challenging task of brand building? First, there is a need to really understand brand character. The consumer is king and getting their attention is increasingly difficult. Audiences are splintering as people use different kinds of media, on their own terms. Second, to break through in the cluttered environment the brand story needs to be told better and told more clearly than ever before. This means the brand experience has to be sharper and more meaningful, at all contact opportunities. The choice of new products and services is multiplying, but at the same time consumers have become more skeptical about product claims. Their ability to get information about whatever they want, whenever they want, has given shoppers unprecedented strength. In this era of personal choice, customisation and differentiation will be imperatives.
Third, marketing programs need to be designed, developed and implemented consistent with targeting and brand messaging, ensuring that the content reflects the context of the connection. This brand-new world, which everybody seems to think is about information and knowledge, is really about imagination. It is the idea that matters. Marketers need to build a greater intimacy with consumers.
Fourth, as brand custodians, marketers need to understand human vulnerability, emotions and optimism to really connect. There is a famous quote from Calne which says "emotion leads to action, while reason leads to conclusion."
Fifth, winning the race for the future of brands requires a leadership that will provide focus and clarity, and a deep sense of restlessness with the status-quo. Growing and building competitive advantage is not simply being better but being different. As such, strategy requires choices. Marketing power comes from specialization and focus.
To grow strong and competitive brands across the new Asia, marketers need to be consistently inconsistent. It is a delight and a challenge that the future is less predictable.
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