Young people ready to adopt new trends, survey shows

Hence, the agency said, marketers and product owners should cash in on this trend for sustainable businesses.
At the “Generation Asia 2012” seminar, Y&R Thailand released its latest study, “Generation Asia” – one of the largest in Asia on consumer psychographic trends. This survey was conducted between April and July on 13,988 respondents in Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Y&R aims to understand the change in consumers’ attitude and behaviour in several fields such as automobiles, beauty, communication, education, entertainment, fashion, money, food, health, kids, luxury and so forth.
In Thailand, it conducted an online survey on some 1,500 respondents aged between 18 and 35. The key findings showed that the new-generation consumers in Thailand could be divided into five groups. Of the respondents, 27 per cent were categorised as “Ambitious Achievers” as they prefer to be leaders, were quick in adopting new trends and wanted to be seen as successful people.
The second group covered 26 per cent of the respondents and were categorised as “Confident Providers”, who had made plans for their family’s security, were reasonable spenders and were ready for pay extra for better-quality products and services.
The third group was “Zesty Lifers”, which accounted for 20 per cent of the respondents. People in this group said they enjoyed their lifestyles and took pride in being trendy and fashionable.
The fourth category is “Social Strivers” accounting for 15 per cent of the respondents. People in this category are worried and frustrated by the hurdles in life and continue striving for more security.
The fifth group, called “Reserved Dreamers”, comprises about 13 per cent of the respondents. People in this group spend more time online and try to avoid boredom.
Oliver Kittipong Veerataech, the agency’s vice president and strategy director, suggested that advertisers, marketers and product owners should understand the change in attitude and behaviour of potential customers.
He said the study also found that 82 per cent of Thais believed that having a financial plan was very important for their future. It has also found that half of the Thai male population is ready to try new skincare products, while 43 per cent of Thais believe that cosmetic surgery for the sake of good looks is acceptable.
Additionally, 82 per cent of the Thai population believes that technology has helped make their lives more organised, but only 36 per cent think that social media is more trustworthy than mass media.
Narissara Uthaiwattanatorn, associate director for digital engagement and innovation, has suggested that though Thais customers are more ready to adopt new technology, marketers should use the right strategy with proper ideas on consumer insight and technology. She added that product owners should also launch mobile applications via social or new media for their brands.