The precarious Covid-19 hit the Indonesian islands in mid-March 2020 and has been creating havoc since then. The rampant pandemic brought social and economic consequences disturbing the entire economy. Out of the many policies implemented by the government such as PSBB or the country’s large-scale social restrictions, affected the socio-economic daily lifestyle of Indonesians in infinite ways. The fury of the virus hasn’t spared anyone and sadly, Indonesia is no exception.

In troublesome times like these, passing on vital information and keeping the commoner well-aware of the situation becomes imperative. When there is mayhem and uncertainty, the need for building social solidarity among people comes to the fore. That’s when social media comes into the picture. It is indeed a driving force behind the emergence of mass social solidarity.

This digital cohesion is created through various means on different social network sites (SNSs), including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. With the virus that is spreading at lightning speed, reliable information also needs to spread like wildfire. When masses have to be educated about the do’s and don’ts of staying vigilant, social media emerges as a clear winner that delivers every piece of information to your smartphone.

Digital cohesion 

Netizens help educate and impart psychological support in reducing panic through experiences, statistics, photos, and current updates and live coverages conducted by journalists. As per a survey conducted by Universitas Airlangga, 67.5% of the Indonesians who took the survey confirmed that social media has helped them stay informed during the pandemic. Meanwhile, 34.5% said that news and information on social media helped influence their behavior regarding precautions or safety against the virus.

If we talk of Twitter, it has been instrumental in helping people find reliable information, connect with others and follow what’s happening in real-time. By adding a new tab in explore titled ‘Covid-19’, it has helped netizens find help instantly and post a medical or financial requirement. Health experts and doctors also are banking upon the power of Twitter to pass on verified information for the benefit of people. Global Twitter insights reveal that there was a 45% increase in the curated events page for Covid-19 and a 30% increase in direct messages with respect to the virus information.

Besides spreading awareness, it gives rise to volunteerism through donation drives, online concerts, and interactive activities conducted by social agents, celebrities, and influencers who have a mass appeal. These are impactful and solve existing problems by raising large sums of monetary support.

Indonesians have benefitted from medical and financial aid received through amplification on social media, making it a particular savior of uncertain times. A clear example of successful volunteerism would be the fundraising campaigns conducted by Kompas TV and Narasi TV, which have shown tangible evidence in alleviating and assisting covid relief.

As per research conducted by GoPay Digital Donation Outlook 2020, the acquisition of digital donations increased by 72% due to covid. It’s a win-win situation when the community comes together to help each other achieve the end goal and fight their common enemy together.

Spreading digital literacy

Digital solidarity in the Covid times has also led to the strengthening of digital literacy as people realized the tremendous power and significant benefits of social media. As per reports, the number of social media users in Indonesia increased by 10 million in 2020-21, amounting to 170 million users. Facebook has the highest user base, with 57.33% of people using the platform as of April 2021 compared to 49.73% of Facebook users in April 2020.

Penetration of social media in Indonesia has been experiencing an all-time high since the breakout of the pandemic. Many regional celebrities and pivotal figures of the globe have a social presence that navigates through various levels of society. Both government and non-government entities accurately use social media to address and respond to the existing economic impact. It is remarkable how a medium of shared awareness has successfully turned into a joint action of sorts. It will not be wrong to say that when the world stands divided by social distancing, it is social media that unites.

This article is written by Devinder Sharma, Twitter partner director at Httpool Indonesia.

Httpool is an Aleph Holding company, representing leading digital media platforms across Europe and Asia. It supports their growth as well as drives business results for traditional and native advertisers across more than 30 markets.

Manila, Philippines – Filipino consumer behavior during the pandemic has shifted to frequent use of e-commerce platforms and cashless payments systems, a new report from financial services Visa shows.

In the Philippine-centric report, Visa noted that 52% of Filipinos shopped online through apps and websites for the first time during the pandemic and 43% of them made their first online purchase using social media channels.

Online shopping activity behavior also rose within the period of past year, as the report showed close to 9 in 10 Filipinos have increased their online shopping activities on websites or apps, whilst 7 in 10 are shopping more on social media channels. 

More than half of the consumers are also more inclined to shop from large online marketplaces (53%) and home-based businesses (61%). These new shopping preferences might turn into habits that last beyond the pandemic.

As part of the growing behavior of online purchases, food deliveries also rose, as more than 9 in 10 Filipinos used home delivery in the Philippines and 67% of them increased their use of home delivery services during the pandemic. This can be attributed to the existing quarantine and lockdown restrictions being implemented by the government in the country.

“The pandemic has transformed the way Filipinos shop and pay. Based on the latest highlights from our annual study, we see adoption of new consumer behaviors including more Filipinos using digital commerce platforms and helping to accelerate the usage of digital payments in the country. We see double digit growth for e-commerce transactions for purchases on marketplaces and digital goods,” said Dan Wolbert, country manager for the Philippines and Guam at Visa.

Wolbert also noted that some of the initial purchases made by first-time online consumers include food and groceries, bill payments as well as pharmaceutical products.

Using physical cash as payment has dwindled by the offset of the pandemic, as best compared to pre-pandemic consumers averaged to 7 out of 10 payments made in cash, compared to mid-pandemic consumers who only averaged to 5 out of 10 payments made in cash.

Filipinos cited using more contactless payments (73%), perceiving cash as unsafe because of the potential spread of infection (54%) and more places adopting digital payments (50%) as the top reasons for carrying less cash. In addition, Filipinos see bill payments (81%), grocery shopping (71%), and overseas travel (68%) as the top categories where they would likely go completely cashless in future.

The study also showed that contactless payments had 66% increase in usage amongst current users due to the pandemic. In addition, 88% of Filipinos who had not used contactless payments stated interest in using this payment method in the future. Top benefits perceived by Filipinos for usage of contactless cards include not having to carry cash with them (88%), feeling safe from infection (75%) and being an innovative payment method (68%).

“We believe that contactless payments will continue to grow as Filipinos appreciate the benefits of contactless payments, including perceiving this payment method to be more hygienic due to the absence of physical interaction at point-of-sale. Even though we’ve made progress in digital payments adoption, there remains huge opportunities for us to encourage more Filipinos to embrace digital payments as we look to expand digital payments acceptance across the country,” Dan added.

The study was conducted on 1,014 Filipinos aged 18-65 years of age across key cities in Manila, and in several provinces.

The emergence of the coronavirus facilitated a massive pivot in both the business and the communications landscape. Much of what we knew was discarded, with new paradigms and thought processes rushed into place.

Brands have been blindsided

Rushed policy announcements and u-turns meant that ‘business as usual’ communications plans were flung out the window.

Many have turned to what we call ‘sympathy mode’, which are those irritating messages which start something like ‘Due to the pandemic’, as their key driver – forgetting that they need to take a ‘business as usual’ approach to communications and focus on their brand and the positives it can still contribute. We’ve seen an increasing number of brands even in the start of 2021 go back into these old ways again, ultimately degrading their brand perception.

Communication has gone increasingly online

As traditional print publications fail to retain or reach pre-pandemic numbers, online becomes the relevant pivot for them. The work-from-home (WFH) phenomena created less traveling time, which can equate to more screen time – thus, the chance to be a message recipient.

We are simply now consuming more online content. Not only that, we are consuming it through an increasing number of platforms where all are not credible and reliable at that.

New demographics are entering the landscape

Not so much the kids – but the older members of society who were forced online to do day-to-day activities because of the first lockdown – have become sustained users of platforms and are now a significant demographic for marketers to consider when developing their communications plans.

This means: more platforms, more audience, and more content, and also – more clutter – for your brand to try and differentiate themselves from.

“Due to the MCO…” simply doesn’t cut it, nor does traditional passive content. Shared experience and solutions for the shared experience stands out more – create a place in people’s lives, something they can personally relate to, in order to be seen in a stronger position.

Communications is a 24/7/365 industry – don’t ever let someone tell you it’s not

An active online presence is the very minimum to keep going, even if your brand store is shut – there are many ways to solve customer’s products. If you can’t do it physically via a shop, and you’re not sustaining communication online, you might as well close the doors permanently.

Some did give up though. That was wrong. Sustained communication is essential for brands. Your competitors are still communicating; and you don’t want to lose out. If you’re not active, you will be forgotten, and your loyal publics will go to your competitors.

Regular communication helps SMEs, especially the struggling ones

It keeps stakeholders in the loop. For some stakeholders, brands (and their communication) are a beacon of hope – so at the very least, by attempting to keep communication programs open, your brand could be inspiring or motivating others. This is a time to help your communities, not to put your head in the sand.

But, be strategic about it. The biggest ‘no-no’ is reminding people of the absolute predicament we are in. Using the C-word, reiterating lockdowns and pandemic advice – all bad. Early days it was considered ‘education’, but it’s pretty much been a year now, and education is not required.

The most important job for a brand is to let their publics know that they are there, they have solutions (i.e. products and services the customer needs), and that they have mechanisms to get these to their customer.

The sympathy vote is no longer viable and infuriates increasing numbers of people

Focus on forgetting the past and the blow the pandemic had on peoples’ lives and businesses, rather, work on solutions and support for your customers to access your brand easily and conveniently given current parameters.

Don’t drop the communication link just because you’re in crisis mode – now is the time brands should be enhancing their communication.

Alter your voice to be heard

Folks from public relations always advise to resonate with your customers; tell personal stories, show relationship to their everyday lives. Still do this, but adjust the narrative to suit the times – what is our ‘shared community experience’ today, and how can we engage with that?

It needs to be more sincere. That personal connection is now paramount. It needs less of the chest-puffing and the halo-polishing; we don’t care for that narrative anymore, and it won’t buy you any new fans. Don’t show off – harder times mean those boasting are seen in a more negative light, brands included.

As for that all-important internal communication, ensure it is open and honest. As simple as that. Keep everyone on the same page, and give as much heads-up as possible. Tomorrow is uncertain, both internally and externally, but doing our best to communicate with teams ensures that there is a buffer on surprises, and also showcases your commitment (or not) to them.

This is a crisis like no other

In reality, there are two crises. One, the pandemic. A public health crisis which is causing additional stress on entire societies. Two, a potential crisis with your brand. Not a crisis about your brand (unless you’ve done something terrible to contaminate people), but a crisis in your brands’ economic viability.

Your response needs to be about how you can still connect to your customers and make their lives easier during trying times.

You don’t need a CEO going on record to talk about their challenges (pity publishing is so 2020); you simply need to ensure you communicate what you can currently do, and how you can connect with and deliver to customers. Nothing more, nothing less.

As for the role of the agency, the industry itself has gone very WFH. The industry has taken on different roles with clients. Communications professionals are both strategists and business continuity advisors. You have gone from communications (and pretty predictable outcomes) to visionaries (more-so than before), and have gone from client-agency relationship to partners. You are more involved in brands, and you are a bigger part of their decision-making.

But nothing is set in stone. Pre-pandemic normality might hit tomorrow, and the rules of the game may change yet again overnight. Staying abreast of changes, public sentiment, and available technologies will help. But remember, you don’t exist if you can’t be heard – so keep that communication going!

Dr Craig J Selby Orchan
This article is written by Dr Craig J Selby, managing director at Orchan Consulting.

Orchan is a communications agency based in Malaysia that provides organizations and brands PR, crisis management, and internal communications.

Singapore – The current state of the world in the mid of the global pandemic has changed the perception among industry professionals on understanding the preferences of consumers, a study by enterprise listening company TalkWalker and open review platform Trustpilot showed.

According to the global study, around 82% of industry professionals believe that the pandemic has changed their understanding of consumer conversation. In addition, half of the respondents (50%) said that access to insights from consumer conversations is still limited to a specific department within their organization, which is still some way to go for data democratization. Lastly, 18% of the respondents said that their organization monitors and analyzes conversations through a unified platform.

Some of the key channels affected by the pandemic in terms of consumer understanding include social media and community management, product marketing, corporate affairs, digital marketing, customer relationship management (CRM) and customer experience.

Social media remains the top source of brand interaction, with growing focus on review sites, blogs and call centers. Around 28% of respondents said that social media is one of their three top channels for brand engagement.

The report also stated that there is much to be done in terms of analytics training and education, with less than 44% of respondents seeing their brand as extremely data-driven; yet experts identify technology as a key to move forward in 2021 and to make sense of sentiment around their brand, their competitors or their industry at scale. 

APAC leads the charge in data democratization, with 41% of respondents showing such characteristics, followed by EMEA (33%) and the United States (28%).

“Most of the brands in APAC that are struggling with insufficient data and inadequate analysis, currently rely on manual monitoring as well as a set of different tools. To reduce these difficulties, companies should consider a unified platform that gathers all necessary data, and allows them to analyze conversations at scale,” the report stated.

As a recommendation, TalkWalker and Trustpilot notes that leaders must break down information barriers, and let customer and consumer intelligence flow from all channels, as over 50% of respondents admit that data siloes still exist within their organizations. 

The report also stated various industry case studies where brands can learn from, such as the automotive industry accelerating to green mobility to the finance sector’s adoption of digital banking, as well as the rapid transformation of the pharmaceutical industry.

“Today’s consumers expect brands to meet them where they are, with empathy, and a shared set of values. Conversational Intelligence is the key to unlocking meaningful customer relationships by understanding what customers are saying, where they are saying it and why,” said Cara Buscaglia, chief innovation officer at Talkwalker.

Meanwhile, Peter Simpson, head of enterprise and global partnerships at Trustpilot commented, “Listening to and understanding customers is key to building a trusted brand. This principle is core to the services of both Trustpilot and Talkwalker, making us natural partners for this report. The findings published here will help businesses better learn what consumers expect of them, and how they can position themselves to deliver.”

The study was conducted with the participation of over 1000 marketing, PR and consumer insights professionals across APAC, EMEA and the USA.

Malaysia – 2020 was a challenging year. Across the board, people have had to adapt to new styles of working, adapt to new business strategies, and even changed industries. It would be easy to write off 2020 as a ‘bad year’, but I believe that’s the wrong way of looking at things. In fact, there is a case to be made for 2020 being one of the most important periods in the evolution of digital marketing, all over the globe. Let’s look at the facts.

1. As a direct impact of the lockdown in the pandemic, specifically called Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, there has been a surge of online activity that was unprecedented. Everyone staying at home with no recourse for outside entertainment meant that users were highly more inclined to spend time online. Think about what that means in terms of your online audience, and compare it with the online audience of, say 2019.

2. With MCO, suddenly there are more people on social platforms than ever before. When users used to consume digital media when they were at home pre-COVID, now entire nations can (and do) consume digital media throughout the whole day. And it doesn’t end at media consumption. Over the course of 2020, users have also taken more decisive action to leverage digital platforms to fulfill consumer needs.

3. Where there have previously been large pools of users that were either unfamiliar or untrusting of e-commerce and online shopping, those groups have largely been converted. Where there was once a common mistrust, there are now entire generations of new believers.

4. Think about it, now your parents or grandparents have become somewhat accustomed to the online shopping process (at the very least, they understand how to browse and then ask for their children’s help with the purchasing process).

5. To illustrate the above point, Facebook recently reported that Southeast Asia as a whole has undergone an approximate 5 YEARS worth of digital ‘education’ in just one year of 2020. This means that what would have originally taken 5 years of digital education to achieve this size of audience with media consumption and e-commerce familiarity has only taken a year because – that’s right – new users have taken the initiative to educate themselves on how the process works. This in turn means great news for all digital marketers.

6. As marketers, in order to sell, you need a market to sell to. For digital, understand that your audience is limited to users that are on the digital platform. To grow your potential audience, an education process must happen to educate users about their ability to conduct purchases online. There is an overwhelming increase in demand for online consumption, and the supply of services is struggling to keep up. The climate is still fresh.

7. So what does this mean for you? Don’t worry, a rising tide raises ALL ships.

8. If you are a small business owner, you can pivot extremely fast in order to scale. You have an expanded audience to collect data and learnings from, and with the right automation tools deployed strategically, you can grow your business at an accelerated rate than you would have been able to just this time last year. Use this knowledge as leverage that you have an exponentially bigger audience to sell now vs. just a year ago.

9. If you are a larger scale marketer for bigger brands, you should also rejoice, as the digital market is bigger than ever, with so much more to play for. There is a bigger slice of the pie to corner, assuming you are willing to experiment with new strategies and pivot as you go along. With the power of scale, your analytics tools will be more important than ever in leveraging the mass amounts of data available. This is the time to run mass A/B testing and test out different audience sets as there is more data than ever, and there is a key opportunity here to actually help shape the market in these early days.

10. Come 2021: NOW is the time to make big, bold moves on digital. This is the time for taking bigger risks, and collecting learnings while the new digital climate is still fresh. For those that refuse to adapt…the market will not wait for you.

This article was written by Fadli Azali of iProspect.

iProspect is a digital marketing agency part of the Dentsu Aegis Network in Malaysia. It delivers integrated marketing campaigns such as performance marketing, search engine optimization, website, and app development, content marketing, as well as social media, and CRM.

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – Dattel Asia, an ASEAN consumer data & analytics company, has recently launched UPLIFT Malaysia – an initiative to empower 10,000 businesses by offering them a free consumer data & training package. 

A total of RM 50M has been allotted for the program, where each free package’s worth equates to RM 5K (US$1,223). The package will provide businesses with actionable insights on the latest consumer behavior as well as exclusive training on how to grow one’s business with data. 

The company said the initiative was developed with the aim to help individuals who have lost jobs or businesses that are being impacted by the recent economic downturn to recuperate sustainably.

Businesses’ access to the package is subject to approval. Applications for the UPLIFT data fund are open to any individuals or companies on its website, especially those interested in consumer-facing business such as retail, fashion, and F&B as well as fitness, beauty, and health, or snacks.

Upon review, successful applicants will receive access to the package as well as weekly updates on consumers’ COVID-19 sentiment and behaviors. Access to the package is only limited to the first 10,000 eligible applicants.

Ashran Dato’ Ghazi, CEO, Dattel Asia

Dattel Asia shared that one of the inspirations for the program was when CEO Ashran Dato’ Ghazi met many entrepreneurs struggling with the abrupt shift in consumers’ behavior due to COVID-19 outbreak. 

“The behavioral shifts caused many consumer-facing businesses uncertain about how, or even if, they should respond to the changes. With so many changes happening at an unprecedented rate, companies do not have the necessary insights that are up-to-date and comprehensive for them to pivot their business or marketing strategy,” Dattel Asia said in a press statement.

Dattel Asia has partnered with several powerhouses in the industry for the program such as university network BAC Education Group, business process outsourcing firm Transcosmos Malaysia, and ZBRA Business Research & Analytics. 

UPLIFT has also gained the support of government-supported entrepreneurial capacity building agency Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN), business academy and venture builder Owners Circle, and the and the country’s Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) Kementerian Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi. Dattel Asia hopes more industry players will come forward and contribute to the initiative.

London – The ongoing global pandemic has created varied consumer impacts and reactions within the consumer base within the Chinese and Japanese markets, recent statistics from consulting firm Ernst & Young show.

In their latest “EY Future Consumer Index,” the report showed contrasting behaviors on pandemic impact on consumer behavior and everyday life. Chinese consumers showed more optimism that the pandemic fear will fade off, as 46% of the respondents say the fear will only last about one to six months. On the other hand, Japanese consumers were less optimistic, with 66% of the respondents saying that the fear will last for about a year or more.

With a significant increase in consumers shifting to online shopping, Chinese consumers are very likely to show interest in online shopping, with appliances and technology-related items being the top shopping choice.

On the other hand, Japanese consumers’ behavior tends to lean more to a “normalization” perspective, which accounted for the top consumer trend in the country.

Andrew Cosgrove, EY global consumer knowledge leader, notes that such mixed consumer behavior means that the future of shopping means transitioning to online channels.

“This points to the risk of showrooming, with consumers going to stores to touch and feel the product for the experience but then making purchases online where products might be cheaper. Retailers and consumer product companies will need to ensure they have both seamless omnichannel experience and the stock and price point needed to make the sale,” Cosgrove stated.

India – The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released on Tuesday an official advisory for brands and companies in releasing COVID-19-related advertisements.

The authority said the guidelines are in response to a proliferation of ads with misleading claims around coronavirus cures and preventions.

In the statement, ASCI cautions ads that claim destruction or removal of any virus other than COVID-19, a violation of the authority’s clauses 1.4, and 1.5, pertaining to the distortion of facts and the misframing of information for consumers. 

In cases that an advertiser opts to include such claims, ASCI reminded that the disclaimer “claim not applicable to coronavirus (COVID-19),” or a similar message, must be displayed, and shown in the size and position aligned with ASCI’s specifications. 

https://twitter.com/ascionline/status/1318448989222576128

Advertisers are also likewise warned to be extra conscientious in making, whether direct or indirect, claims in reducing the chances of becoming infected with the virus, or gaining immunity against it. In such cases, advertisers should be able to substantiate such claims with technical support by recognized or approved health authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), or any health organizations of similar stature. Support may also come from well-recognized medical and technical literature or by regulatory-approved clinical research conducted by a recognized medical institute and laboratory.

Similarly, the authority made mention that brands offering products that are not internally consumed or applied to bodies hence, those not requiring a license under the Drug & Cosmetic Act, must be particularly careful in making claims regarding the prevention, immunity, and treatment for the virus unless supported with sufficient data. 

In April 2020, the Ministry of AYUSH has released an order for regulatory authorities in the states and union territories on AYUSH, drugs that have been launched without any rigorous pharmacological studies and clinical trial, to stop and prevent publicity and advertisement of AYUSH-related claims for COVID-19. In the guidelines, ASCI emphasized the order which restricts communications on print, TV, and electronic media. 

ASCI said the released directions are only the first of many steps to safeguard consumers from the plethora of misleading pandemic-related claims

Since the Ministry of AYUSH’s memo in April, ASCI has processed 250 violating advertisements and reported 233 from the healthcare sector to the ministry. 

General Secretary of ASCI Manisha Kapoor said that although the pandemic is a difficult time for everyone, even for brands, it isn’t a reason to resort to negligence.

“Manufacturers and brands have responded to consumer needs arising out of the pandemic. However, we want these products and advertisements to stick to claims and promises that are well backed by adequate substantiation,” said Kapoor.

Kapoor added, “We want advertisers to be more mindful in creating advertisements and making claims related to Covid-19. Given the pandemic and the extended lockdowns, people are obviously concerned.”

ASCI has already rolled out digital banners of the guidelines on its social media pages.

Hong Kong – Amid the normalized work-from-home setting among businesses and employees during the pandemic, APAC workspace provider The Executive Centre (TEC) has released a campaign reminding people of the perks that workers can enjoy only within a company-managed office. 

The almost four-minute video centers around the message “good to leave, even better to come back,” with it running a number of scenes, comparing how different activities are done between a remote set-up and an office, emphasizing how the latter have ready assistance – whether through a colleague or a provided technology – to carry out work tasks.

The fictional ad features four characters in their first day back to work. The ad shone on the irreplaceable benefits such as proper coffee, better and clearer collaboration with colleagues, IT services, comfortable ergonomic furniture, and admin support.

TEC Founder and CEO Paul Salnikow shared the company had been inspired to explore how the typical workday has changed after most have been subject to a prolonged work from home setup.

“The pandemic has accelerated the shift to flexible workspaces. We are certain that the office, rather than becoming obsolete, will become an increasingly valuable asset, facilitating collaboration, and driving business growth,” he said.

TEC is headquartered in Hong Kong, offering solutions such as private and shared workspaces, business concierge services, and meeting and conference facilities. Its operations span China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, and India as well as Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia.

Singapore – Consumers within the Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) and Singapore markets have shown mixed consumer behaviors with the upcoming holiday seasons, a report from advertising analytics company Blis showed.

The study focused on three indicators that reported greater impact on consumer behavior during the global pandemic crisis. These include geographical location, modifications to mobility, and the psychological need for interaction.

ANZ showed contrasting consumer behavior in going out of their homes. Australia tallied 41% of the respondents that showed caution during June this year, albeit the rate has since then changed to 26% in September. On the other hand, New Zealand carried greater confidence at going outside, with a 54% rate in June, albeit slightly dropping to 49% in September due to resurgence of new cases in the country.

About 41% of the respondents in Singapore, on the other hand, wanted to leave their houses with 21%  stating that they are cautious.

In terms of mobility behavior, Singapore demonstrated greater confidence for public transport mobility, with 32% showing positive notes, while ANZ clocked 21% and 26% respectively in terms of mobility confidence. The study noted that effective lockdown measures are a prime cause of these consumer markets showing greater confidence in going outside.

When it comes to psychological behavior, New Zealanders reflected a higher percentage of taking the risk to visit food-related establishments, such as restaurants and bars, which tallied a 46% response rate. On the other hand, Australia and Singapore had less confidence to eat outside, with a 35% and 31% response rate respectively.

As the holiday season is fastly approaching, the ANZ market reported greater interest in spending their festive shopping at a physical store (AU, 33%; NZ 36%) yet have mixed views on spending limit (NZ: same amount as last year, AU: less spending). On the other hand, Singapore showed uncertainty whether they will shop in-store or online, yet showed behavior of shopping earlier for the festivities.