Tag: Consumer Insights

Singapore – With a 30.2% WOM exposure score, the nature-themed retail complex Changi Airport Jewel is Singapore’s most talked-about retail and leisure space over the month of November, data from YouGov BrandIndex revealed.

Changi Airport Jewel’s WOM exposure score indicates the percentage of consumers who have talked about it to family and friends over the past two weeks. With a score of 30.2%, it comes out ahead of other top sites.

Other well-known shopping malls and leisure attractions that made it to the list based on WOM scores are Gardens by the Bay (19.3%), Universal Studios Singapore (15.5%), VivoCity (12.9%), Bugis Junction (11.2%), Plaza Singapura (11.2%), Suntec City (10.7%), ION Orchard (10%), Marina Bay Sands (9.5%), and Somerset 313 (8.2%).

Changi Airport Jewel also snags the top spot on the list of leisure places of interest that consumers have heard the most good things about in the past two weeks, generating a net Buzz score of 34.2 over the month of November. This is followed by Gardens by the Bay (22.8), Universal Studios Singapore (14.3), VivoCity (12.7), Suntec City (10.8), ION Orchard (10.7), Plaza Singapura (10.6), Marina Bay Sands (10.6), Bugis Junction (9.6), and Somerset 313 (7.9).

Additionally, when asked about public places that they are considering visiting next, 38.2% of consumers also named Changi Airport Jewel. It’s consideration score places it on the lead, ahead of Gardens by the Bay (27.8%), VivoCity (23.8%), Suntec City (22%), ION Orchard (21.1%), Plaza Singapura (21%), Bugis Junction (19.7%), Universal Studios Singapore (16.9%), Marina Bay Sands (16.3%), and Somerset 313 (15.5%).

According to YouGov’s report, Changi Airport Jewel’s high scores can be attributed to the year-end travel season that boosts consumer chatter around the airport. However, its seasonal attractions, such as Changi Festive Village’s Candy Wonderland and Snow House at Terminal 3 and the Super Mario ‘Pipe Around the World’ at Jewel Mall, could have also contributed to the buzz among consumers.

Sydney, Australia – Following HubSpot’s recent announcement regarding Australia’s state of customer connection report, the latest data from market research company YouGov revealed the major challenges surrounding interactions between businesses and their customers, indicating the majority of Australian consumers cited unsolicited emails as a negative experience with the brand they engage with.

In particular, an average of 89% reported having encountered issues with low-quality products, inadequate customer service, and intrusive, irrelevant marketing (44%).

These repercussions indicated that 46% of the respondents expressed that receiving spam would weaken their relationship with a brand, and over a third (36%) said that they would unsubscribe from a business altogether due to such experiences.

In line with this, businesses face not only damage to their bottom line but also the risk of significant fines. These happened despite the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s intensified crackdown on unwanted emails, with recent cases citing Kmart’s $1.3 million fine for sending unwanted emails and Commonwealth Bank’s record $3.5 million penalty for spamming.

Furthermore, it was observed that the shift in consumer spending due to inflation has also influenced their preferences for interacting with brands. Such a lack of agility and tune-in from business resulted in decreased customer confidence, with half of Australian consumers (49%) agreeing that some brands have low staff competency (32%) and lack interest in improving their service (32%).

Another aspect contributing to negative customer experiences is the impact of unmet customer expectations. The findings revealed that this disconnection has affected half (51%) of surveyed business leaders in the past 12 months, emerging as a top-three pain point for 45% of Australian businesses.

Talking about these challenges, Kat Warboys, marketing director of APAC at HubSpot, said, “The bottom line is that effective connection is driven by quality communications, not quantity. The data suggests that brands aren’t routinely assessing their connection data and using this insight to inform their customer touch points. And it’s causing irreparable damage as consumers disassociate with the content.”

“Increasing unsubscription rates and decreased engagement metrics are important symptoms of poor customer connection, for example, social shares, email opens, and conversion rates. The first step is to look at the data and what it’s telling you while simultaneously reviewing how your brand is behaving across the business and its channels,” she continued.

Warboys also added, “Chances are, you’re not the only team trying to get customers’ attention, and the more communications businesses have, the more likely the audience is to switch off. The key here is alignment across the business and also with the customer, which means collaborating with customer-facing teams to understand the challenges and opportunities they’re observing from the front line.”

“Rather than relying on the same strategies as previous years, in 2024 marketers should reassess by testing, learning, and investing in the customer experience. Firstly, identify where your customers are happy to self-serve and ensure you’ve enabled them to do so, and where they expect a human touch. Secondly, look at where your target audience is spending their time and meet them there, which may mean pivoting away from email marketing if your audience prefers SMS,” Warboys explained.

With the recent results of their research, she further highlighted, “From our research, we know that declining customer spending and loyalty are keeping business leaders up at night. The good news is that technology is here to help businesses work smarter, not harder. It’s well documented that AI helps businesses save time, drive effectiveness, and increase productivity, leading to deeper and more scalable connections with customers.

“Instead of over-saturating communication channels in an attempt to win customers’ attention, invest in audience research, get laser-focused on segmentation and up-to-date targeting, and use the right channels to delight the right audiences. When backed up by personalisation and targeting, there’s no doubt that less is more,” Warboys concluded.

Singapore – Around 35%, or more than a third, of Singaporean consumers are members of at least one hotel loyalty programme, a survey from YouGov revealed.

When asked about the top benefits hotel loyalty club members appreciate, the survey revealed that the most popular perk is redeeming loyalty points for a discounted or complimentary stay, with 43%, or more than two-fifths of respondents, saying they enjoyed it.

Additionally, around 31%, or close to one in three, cited early check-in and late check-out as the top advantages of their membership. The list rounds up with free breakfast at 28% as the third most popular perk.

Aside from the top three perks, around a quarter, or 26%, said they appreciate room upgrades the most, while some enjoy the discounted or priority access to hotel facilities that their membership offers.

The ranking of these loyalty membership perks also varies across different generations of members. Regardless of age, the discounted or complimentary stay offered by loyalty programmes remains the most popular perk for club members. However, it showed that Gen X (36%) members are more likely to hold free breakfast as their favourite perk, while Millennials (33%) prefer the room upgrade perk.

In terms of how they book their travel accommodations, over a quarter (27%) of loyalty programme members said they start off by searching among hotel chains of which they are a loyalty member before they narrow down the prices and proximity to their place of interest.

On the other hand, around two in five (41%) prioritise looking for hotels that are close to their place of interest before considering price and loyalty programme membership. Lastly, 30% first look for hotels within their travel budget before considering their loyalty programme membership and the proximity to their specific places of interest.

It is also worth noting that the survey found men (31%) to be more likely to prioritise hotels where they are loyal members when searching for overseas travel accommodations compared to women (21%). And across generations, Gen Z (34%) and Baby Boomers (30%) are significantly more likely to start their hotel search based on loyalty membership compared to Millennials (23%) and Gen X (26%) travellers.

The survey also revealed Marriot Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards as two of the most popular hotel loyalty programmes Singaporean consumers subscribe to.

About one in eight (12%) consumers are members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. This includes consumers at EDITION, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Renaissance, Westin, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Delta, Fairfield Inn & Suites, City Express, Aloft, and Moxy.

Meanwhile, one in nine (11%) are subscribed to a loyalty programme from IHG One Rewards. This includes consumers at Regent, Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza, voco, Holiday Inn, Garner, avid, and Vignette Collection.

Also making it to the top list is Accor Live Limitless or Accor Plus, with one in fifteen (8%) consumers subscribed to loyalty programmes at Sofitel, MGallery, Raffles, Banyan Tree, Fairmont, Swissotel, Orient Express, Pullman, Angsana, Mondrian, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, Novotel, Mecure, Mantra, Tribe, ibis, and BreakFree.

Other hotels with popular loyalty programmes are Hilton Honors (8%), Shangri-La Circle (7%), and the World of Hyatt (6%).

Singapore – L’Oreal Travel Retail Asia Pacific and Alipay+ have entered into a partnership in a move to thoroughly understand consumer insights and purchasing behaviours across regions. L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific is the first beauty company to partner with Alipay+, a partnership that has started since 2020 in Hainan and Macau.

Through this partnership, the two entities have now expanded to reach over 100 million outbound Chinese travellers in global destinations, starting with great achievements during October Golden Week in Thailand and Dubai. 

The advanced digital solutions of Alipay+ technology, partnered with L’Oréal’s mega portfolio of brands in both online and offline touchpoints, connect global shoppers to traveler-centric brand experiences.

Moreover, the partnership aims to meet constantly evolving consumer preferences for seamless shopping while travelling and enriches the traveller experience with personalised beauty needs and offers for them.

Tao Zhang, managing director at L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific, said, “his collaboration between L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific and Alipay+ is a significant leap forward for the new Trinity between brands, retailers, and platforms. In an era where the travel retail landscape is undergoing transformative changes, we seek to captivate modern travelers by offering them a seamless shopping experience empowered by deep insights and digital technology; at the right place, right time.”

Meanwhile, Joyce Lui, chief marketing officer at L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific, commented, “Since the start of the collaboration, we have onboarded more than 10 brands with over 50 activations in just one year, scaling this to reach our global shoppers. For the first time, in-depth insights shared collectively by both parties can enable more precise and enjoyable end-to-end journey for travellers.”

Cherry Huang, general manager of Alipay+ Offline Merchant Services at Ant International, said, “Travelers today have greater expectations in the way they engage brands as they travel the world, particularly in the use of technology to enhance their experience. As we strengthen our partnership with L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific, not only can we offer immediate benefits of convenient payments and exclusive rewards, we are also looking to the future to further personalize the shopper experience, both online and offline.”

Singapore – A total of 8 in 10 Southeast Asians are purposely waiting for Black Friday to fulfil their annual wish lists, a report from Milieu Insight revealed.

The data further showed that more than half, or 63%, across the region willingly wait for Black Friday to make higher-priced purchases, with Vietnam topping the list of countries at 76%.

While the report suggests a wide diversity and priority in Southeast Asia’s shopping list during the Black Friday season, fashion (65%) came out on top, followed by electronic gadgets (56%), and personal care products (56%), who both got the same results.

Interestingly enough, digital channels such as online shopping, app deals, and digital payment transactions showed promising results during the Black Friday shopping spree in the region.

The data from the report highlighted that 72% of people in the region prefer online shopping during Black Friday, showcasing a preference for the convenience and accessibility offered by digital platforms. Among the countries, Indonesia takes the lead, with a whopping 94% now favouring online shopping. Singapore is also closely behind at 81%.

While cash (43%) and cash follows (32%) maintain a significant share of the payment options, almost 65% of Indonesians, 58% of Malaysians, and 58% of Thais already showed strong preference for using e-wallets during their shopping. These numbers surpass the regional average of 50%, underscoring the prevailing regional inclination towards digital transactions.

Social media and cashback apps are also playing significant roles in encouraging more consumers in the region to do their shopping. The reports revealed that social media (69%) and shopping or cashback apps (54%) are among the ones that keep consumers informed about on-going and upcoming Black Friday deals.

This is especially important as deals such as cashback or rebates drive purchasing decisions for Southeast Asians. Cashback or rebates (63%), early access deals (30%), and flash sales (53%) are among the key motivators for consumers to purchase during the shopping season.

These factors underscore the evolving needs of Southeast Asian shoppers, who seek not only discounts but also additional perks that enhance their overall shopping experience.

The data from the Milieu Insight report shows that digital channels have a profound influence on shaping consumer behaviour and driving awareness among Southeast Asians during this shopping bonanza.

Singapore – Nearly 4 out of 5 APAC consumers agree that companies should do a better job at capturing Asian people’s true lifestyle and culture in advertising, a report from Getty Images revealed.

The new research showed that stereotypical and inauthentic visual representations of various Asian communities are still present in the Asia-Pacific advertising scene.

According to the data, only less than 10% of the most popular visuals for Australasia, Japan, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan accurately represent Asian people and their lived experiences. Instead, the findings revealed that the most commonly used imagery tends to lean heavily towards perpetuating common stereotypes.

The common stereotypes in the Asian advertising scene include depicting Asians as youthful, slender, having lighter skin tones, and predominantly portrayed in work-related contexts. Furthermore, popular visuals all portray the same underlying messages, styling, and emotion, which is often overly happy and has little to no connection to each culture.

Getty Images’ research report also showed that nearly 4 out of 5 consumers across APAC agree that companies also need to do a better job at capturing people’s true lifestyles and cultures. They felt that simply increasing the representation of individuals from diverse ethnicities, backgrounds, and appearances within advertising and media was insufficient.

Additionally, a striking 3 out of 5 also shared that they’ve felt discrimination based on body size, lifestyle choices, race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, and sexuality.

The report identified a number of representation gaps that are specific to APAC, which include disparities in depicting cultural specificities, underrepresentation of older adults, a lack of diversity in gender representation, limited portrayals of Asian working life, a prevailing preference for Eurocentric beauty standards and body types, and an absence of individuals with disabilities, among others.

The representation gaps and lack of diversity in imagery limit the opportunity to showcase Asia-Pacific’s extensive span of cultures and demographics.

These concerning findings underscore the importance for the media and advertising industry to recognise the intricate diversity and multidimensionality inherent in Asian cultures and align their strategies with consumer expectations to deliver authentic and meaningful portrayals of Asian identities.

Yuri Endo, creative insights manager at Getty Images, said, “Despite the region’s diversity, everyday images and videos that aim to capture Asian experiences often fall short, perpetuating harmful stereotypes or missing the mark entirely. This misrepresentation and underrepresentation in TV shows, social media, and advertising has led to significant gaps in consumers’ understanding of the region’s realities.”

“By sharing these guidelines, the report takes a significant step towards helping brands serving APAC customers promote accurate and respectful portrayals of Asian communities, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable visual landscape,” she added.

Singapore – Almost 84% of Singaporean travellers are greatly inspired to travel to movie or TV show destinations, a report from Skyscanner revealed.

The insights from Skyscanner’s report showed that the majority of Singaporean travellers are greatly inspired by film and entertainment, with 8 out of 10 choosing destinations based on a movie or TV show they watched.

In addition, nearly half, or 41%, of the respondents consider the overall ‘vibe’ of a destination as important when planning where to go in 2024. The four key travel vibes identified by the report are set-jetting (84%), gig tripping (60%), budget bougie foodies (54%), and destination Zzzz (23%).

Among the four key travel vibes, set-jetting came out on top as Singaporean travellers embody their ‘main character energy’ thus wanting to slot themselves into the locations of their favourite shows.

The jet-setting trend can be partially attributed to the ‘Korean Wave’ that hit Singapore since 2001 and is still present today, with the TV series favourite Jeju in South Korea claiming the top spot in the 2024 destination list Singaporeans wish to visit. This is followed by Christchurch in New Zealand, where ‘Lord of the Rings’ was filmed, and Paris in France featured in ‘Emily in Paris’.

Aside from the ‘main character energy’ trend, ‘gig tripping’ follows behind, with Singaporean travellers expressing the willingness to fly to another country to catch their favourite artist.

Under this trend, 46% said they were willing to fly short-haul and 14% said they’d fly long-haul. In fact, 28% of Singaporean travellers plan to attend a gig or music concert abroad in 2024.

Meanwhile, eating and trying local authentic cuisines remains a popular activity for Singapore travellers, thus placing the ‘budget bougie foodies’’ trend on the top 4 list.

Around 30% of respondents have booked a destination purely to visit a specific restaurant, with Osaka, nicknamed ‘the kitchen of Japan’, being the top trending destination amongst Singaporean travellers.

Also making it to the top 4 key travel vibes is the ‘destinations Zzzz’ trend, with the data from the report revealing that sleeping ranks high on the Singaporean travellers’ main activities for their next holiday. This even ranked above water sports (22%), wildlife spotting (19%), and snow sports (18%).

The trend is likely to continue as 39% of Singapore travellers attest to enjoying better sleep on a holiday, likely due to the therapeutic escape a vacation offers.

The report also looked into the changing lifestyles of consumers that are creating new traveller types in 2024.

Among the types of travellers emerging in 2024 are the analogue adventurers, with one in five, or 19%, of Singaporean travellers aged 18 to 24-years-old now bringing a Polaroid camera with them on holiday. This stems from the trend where Gen Zs are bringing back old-school analogue adventures that ditch the digital device.

Celebration vacationers are also expected to emerge as more Singaporean travellers look into celebrating big milestones in their lives with style. The report revealed that two in three, or 64%, of travellers have taken a group trip to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.

However, the issue of cost often comes up, as one in two (48%) said that agreeing on the expected costs of the trip is their primary hurdle when planning group trips, followed by knowing how or where to communicate with their group (43%).

Lastly, the report also identifies the emergence of the ‘luxe-for-less seekers’, as 23% of Singaporean travellers plan to upgrade their flight to business or first class in 2024, while 25% plan to purchase airport lounge access.

The report not only covered decision-making trends but also the top trending destinations Singaporeans are looking into for their 2024 trips.

Japan places two of its cities, Osaka and Fukuoka, on the top trending list for Singaporeans, with the former being a foodie haven and the latter being beautifully serene. The bustling city of Taipei in Taiwan also rounds out the list at number three.

On the other hand, Indonesia came out top overall, securing the highest three spots for the best value destinations category, with its cities Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and Praya making it to the list.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the report also found Singaporeans grappling with the challenge of switching off while on vacation. Despite 89% of respondents acknowledging the importance of disconnecting during a trip, 34% still check their work emails, with 23% even admitting they are searching for a new job while overseas.

Cyndi Hui, travel trends and destination expert at Skyscanner, shared, “Singaporeans have shown themselves to be inspired travellers, driven by a strong desire to go where their imagination takes them. That said, we also see that the demands of modern life too often prevent us from committing ourselves to the present.”

“In 2024, we hope to help Singaporeans prioritise themselves, and that includes fully embracing the many opportunities and experiences that come with travelling. Skyscanner, with its suite of traveller-first tools, provides fuss-free travel planning, allowing you to live in the moment, free of distractions,” she added.

Asia Pacific – Around 81% of Asian consumers think there are too many subscription services to choose from now, and 93% are seeking a single hub to manage all this, a report from Bango revealed.

According to the data gathered, over three-quarters, or 81%, of subscription users believe there are now “too many” subscription services available, and 93% are demanding a unified platform to administer all of their subscriptions.

The boom in the subscription economy is threatening to overwhelm consumers across India and Southeast Asia. But even with many feeling subscription fatigue, 81% would consider signing up for more subscriptions if they were consolidated through a centralised content hub.

The latest report also revealed that there is a subscription overload happening, with 86% of consumers having more than two subscriptions and 15% having more than six. These include services ranging from streaming to food delivery, music to sports, and more.

Many consumers are having a tough time tracking their current subscriptions on separate platforms, resulting in unnecessary costs. According to the data, nearly half, or 44%, say they’ve kept paying for subscriptions they forgot were still active, while 32% are currently paying for subscription services that they never use.

However, despite the overwhelming number of subscription services, the study also showed that consumers are not looking for fewer choices. Rather, they are simply looking for a more seamless experience.

The majority of consumers (93%) want all their subscriptions to be managed through a ‘Super Bundling’ content hub, where there is a single payment to a service aggregator for multiple subscriptions like streaming services in a single hub.

Bango’s research report revealed that subscribers in Asia consider an ideal content hub to provide discounts in subscription prices (58%), access to a variety of services in one place (56%), and the ability to pay multiple subscriptions at once (51%).

Furthermore, a majority of consumers (89%) would spend more time using their subscription services if a content hub was available. Meanwhile, 91% also believe that having all of their subscriptions in one place would help them manage their household expenses.

When it comes to building this solution, the survey showed that local mobile network operators may be the key to unlocking ‘Super Bundling’.

For a majority of Asian consumers (81%), telcos are the most trusted provider for a centralised content hub. They’re the logical go-to, as two-thirds (67%) of consumers already have subscription services included in their phone plan.

Additionally, the data also revealed that ‘Super Bundling’ content hubs can boost consumer loyalty, with 95% saying they would be more loyal to the brands that provided them and 66% willing to leave their current telco provider if this service became available elsewhere.

An example of a ‘Super Bundling’ content hub are the ones offered by Verizon and Optus in the US and Australia. Both are offering centralised hubs for streaming, music, gaming, and more through their +play and SubHub platforms, respectively.

Anil Malhotra, co-founder at Bango, explained, “Managing multiple subscriptions is a headache for users. They don’t want less choice—just less admin. We should focus on building all-in-one solutions that can offer consumers flexibility in billing, a wider variety of choices, and a great user experience. That’s what they really want.”

Singapore – Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, latest research from YouGov Surveys reveals that more than one in three (36%) Singapore residents follow F1 motor racing.

Data from YouGov’s survey also states that the highest proportion of F1 followers in Singapore are from Gen X, and that men are also more likely to tune in to F1 than women, especially among Gen Z.

When asked about this year’s Singapore Grand Prix, about 32%  of F1 followers in Singapore said that they will be watching the race on-site. Notably, about 18% of attendees are attending the race in-person for the first time.

Talking about reasons for attending physically, 59% of this year’s attendees attribute the opportunity to meet up with friends to watch the race together with attending the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix in person, while on the other hand, 57% say that they just generally enjoy a trackside view of the race.

Furthermore, about half  of race goers also cite being a fan of one or more F1 drivers who will be competing in this year’s edition as one of the reasons they are getting tickets, while 39% will attend since they’re a fan of one or more artists who will be performing at this year’s entertainment lineup. 

On the other hand, 58% of Singaporean F1 followers say that they won’t be attending due to ticket prices being out of their budget this year. Notably, ticketing costs are by far the most common reason among past attendees who are not catching the race on site this year as well.

54% of fans also prefer catching the race via television broadcast, as do almost two-fifths among past attendees. The next most common reasons, following at a distance, are not being able to secure race tickets in time and not being interested in this year’s entertainment lineup.

Lastly, it is also worth mentioning that the survey also revealed Britain’s Lewis Hamilton as the driver with the largest fan base in Singapore, and when it comes to the performing artists, Robbie Williams is the most popular artist performing at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix. 

APAC – Latest data from audience intelligence tool YouGov Profiles reveals that 46% of all APAC consumers are drawn to socially-conscious brands that display values aligned with their own and that 48% are drawn to brands that get involved with issues of wider societal interest. 

According to the data, more than half of APAC consumers are most likely to consider a brand’s values when making purchase decisions and appreciate brands that engage with social issues.

Information provided also delves into the appeal of brand messaging amongst APAC consumers, as well the appeal of other efforts such as sustainability actions and valuing the locality and nationality of brands.  

On brand messaging, Brands that have a moral message are also more likely to appeal to three out of five  APAC consumers. Regionally, 54% of Indonesian consumers and 45% of Thai consumers consider whether a brand upholds values that align with their personal outlook before making a purchase and are also most likely to appreciate brands that engage with social issues. These brands have the widest appeal in Indonesia (80%) and Hong Kong (60%), although just under a third of consumers in the latter like brands that get involved with social issues.

When it comes to sustainability, the data reveals that about 48% of APAC consumers try to buy from brands which are socially and environmentally responsible, and 53% prefer those that engage in fair trade processes. Notably, the majority are also willing to pay more for eco-friendly products. Buying from socially and environmentally responsible companies is a priority for most Thai (62%) and Indonesian (55%) consumers, but for roughly only a third in Singapore (33%) and Hong Kong (34%).

Looking out for fair trade products is something close to two-thirds of consumers in Indonesia make an effort to do, but only two in five consumers in other key APAC markets say the same. Indonesian consumers are also most open to spending more for eco-friendly products (72%), ahead of Thai (51%) and Australian (50%) consumers, while less than half of Singaporean (41%) and Hong Kong (38%) consumers would.

Lastly, around half of all APAC consumers are also concerned with large online and multinational enterprises driving out small businesses in their community, with over half of APAC consumers choosing local community shops over foreign ones and making efforts to support local businesses.

Specifically, consumers in Indonesia are most likely to conscientiously support local businesses (82%), followed by Australia(68%). On the other hand, Singapore is the only market where less than half of consumers say they make an effort to support local businesses and prefer shopping close-by.