Tag: Report

Singapore – A staggering 62% of APAC consumers, compared to 49% globally, express a desire for an AI clone by 2035 to manage shopping, administrative, and communication tasks for them, according to a report from dentsu.

The report also highlighted outsourcing trends, revealing that 88% of APAC consumers, the highest globally, are inclined to delegate work and personal scheduling duties to AI assistants, with several countries scoring notably above the regional average.

As more APAC consumers turn to AI assistants, dentsu’s study also predicts the rise of AI gatekeepers. These AI entities will manage recurring purchases, vet ads, and represent consumers in focus groups, streamlining brand interactions. The report indicates strong support for this trend, with 85% of APAC consumers wanting an AI assistant for these tasks by 2035, compared to a global average of 77%.

Interestingly, 70% of APAC consumers believe that by 2035, relationships with AI companions could be as fulfilling and rewarding as human relationships. This sentiment is particularly strong in India (81%) and China (78%).

With all these shifts, the report states that brands will need to become more perceptive in order to garner consumer attention in the AI-filtered and culturally reshaped reality on the horizon.

Consequently, consumers will increasingly prioritise emotional connections with brands, with 75% stating that their mood significantly influences purchase decisions. The study also reveals that most consumers wish to be more impulsive and actively seek experiences that evoke strong emotions.

Commenting on the report, Dominic Powers, chief growth officer at dentsu APAC, remarked, “Consumer Vision 2035 unveils the dawn of a transformative era across technology, culture, and consumer expectations. As we navigate towards an AI-filtered future, businesses must proactively adapt to meet evolving consumer needs. These insights serve as a compass for people-centred transformation, fostering long-term brand resilience and innovation.”

Singapore – B2B marketing leaders in the APAC region are displaying renewed optimism, with nine in 10 bullish in their teams’ ability to drive revenue in the upcoming year, according to a new research report from LinkedIn. 

The LinkedIn report further reveals that approximately three-quarters of B2B marketers in APAC (74%) anticipate budget increases. 

According to the report, despite 74% of B2B CMOs in APAC finding it challenging to prioritise reaching buyers amidst numerous demands, the majority (91%) affirm that success hinges on relationship building. Hence, fostering “collective confidence” among purchasing decision-makers is deemed crucial for the forthcoming year.

To establish strong connections with the buyer group and maintain a top-of-mind presence, creativity is crucial. The report found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of B2B marketing leaders in APAC are prioritising bolder creative strategies, with 62% noting that these efforts significantly enhance brand engagement and drive conversions.

Marketing professionals globally are also leading the charge on AI adoption and building AI proficiency as they look to improve ROI. 

The LinkedIn report showed that in APAC, two-thirds (67%) of B2B marketing leaders are leveraging generative AI applications in their marketing efforts, reporting significant improvements in productivity (41%), faster content creation (37%), and cost efficiencies (33%).

LinkedIn data also found a 142x increase in LinkedIn members globally adding AI literacy skills to their profiles, with marketers topping this list. ‘Artificial Intelligence’ is the fastest-growing digital skill for CMOs globally, based on the skills CMOs have added to their LinkedIn profiles in the past year. 

To help B2B marketers reach and engage all members of the buying group and build collective confidence, LinkedIn also introduced new products, including ‘The Wire Programme’ and expanded AI capabilities in ‘Accelerate’. 

With video uploads on LinkedIn rising by 45% year-over-year, LinkedIn is piloting the ‘Wire Program’—a new initiative enabling brands to run in-stream video ads alongside content from trusted publishers. The programme is currently being tested with select publishers, including Barron’s, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, LinkedIn News, MarketWatch, NBCUniversal, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and Yahoo! Finance, to help marketers reach the growing audience of digital video consumers. 

The Wire Programme will be available in all languages for global advertisers seeking to sponsor content with these publishers, although EU member targeting will not be available at launch.

LinkedIn is also enhancing its AI-driven campaign creation and optimisation tool, ‘Accelerate’. Marketers can now craft engaging creatives using Microsoft Designer and fine-tune their targeting by excluding specific companies and third-party lists. Additionally, they can receive expert guidance from the new AI marketing assistant. Advertisers using Accelerate are achieving 15% greater campaign efficiency and reducing cost per action by 52% compared to traditional campaigns.

Accelerate’s new features include the integration of Microsoft Designer, enabling marketers to easily build and customise creatives. Additionally, AI will be used to merge brand data, such as customer lists and conversion data, with LinkedIn’s platform data to identify individuals most likely to engage with ad campaigns. The AI marketing assistant further enhances campaign building by offering recommendations, such as adding data sources for better targeting, and assisting with tasks like budget adjustments.

Matt Tindale, head of enterprise for APAC at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, said, “Cultivating meaningful relationships is key to influencing the buying behaviour of B2B decision-makers. This is especially true for APAC, where decisions involve lengthy consideration and are driven by emotion. To develop this “collective confidence” amongst those involved in B2B purchasing, brand building through bolder creative campaigns will drive success in the year ahead.” 

“Under the pressure of budget cuts and the constant need to prove ROI over the past year, APAC B2B marketing leaders are turning to generative AI and displaying renewed energy in boosting content creation and productivity to push brand building. In addition to improving memorability, this will enable them to uncover new audiences and boost campaign performance,” he added. 

Meanwhile, John Rudaizky, global chief brand and marketing officer at EY, shared, “In a rapidly changing market, brand building, creativity, and confidence are key to influencing buying groups. B2B marketing is no different from consumer marketing in the sense that engaging emotionally and with creativity are essential, with LinkedIn providing the perfect environment to talk directly to clients and talent alike.” 

Sean Johnston, VP for advertising at Closed Loop, also commented, “Accelerate campaigns far surpassed the lead conversion performance we saw from even our best-performing manual audiences for Calendly. The lead form completion rate increased over 3X and delivered a 66% cheaper cost per lead (CPL). The higher conversion rates and more efficient CPLs really convinced me this works.” 

Accelerate campaigns are gradually ramping up for customers globally and will be available to all customers in the coming months. Accelerate is available in all languages in Campaign Manager, but AI-generated creatives are currently available in English only.

Singapore – HAVAS Red, the global merged media micro network, launched its The first ‘The State of the Influencer in 2024: A Client’s Perspective’ whitepaper. The report shows that consumers prefer influencers more than traditional media, and the video content is the most effective strategy in influencer marketing. 

The report notes that more than 97% of brands identify content creators as influencers, demonstrating the democratisation of influence. This emphasises how influencers are no longer limited to traditional celebrities and ushers in a new era in which everyone can have influence.

Influencers are also using social proof to increase engagement, which gives brands lots of chances to use influencer marketing techniques targeted at relevant and targeted audiences. This strategy can increase brand conversions and engagement levels. 92% of brands believe that cultivating long-term relationships with influencers is more valuable than short-term collaborations, and 31% of brands acknowledge that influencers can effectively drive engagement. 

According to the report also, video formats are the most effective strategy available to influencers. Because 86% of brands say that video content has more resonance than static forms, influencer marketing is being used by businesses to improve storytelling. They give campaigns life with their creative and graphic elements. Video content is king in Singapore, according to brands that claim that it best connects with their target market.

As social media and the media landscape merge, consumers’ trust in influencers grows as their faith in traditional media declines. The report shows that influencers play a crucial role in increasing brands’ online awareness. 81% of brands have run influencer campaigns, according to research, and one in five have taken part in more than 20 influencer campaigns. 

In influencer campaigns, ROI optimisation is still a goal. Even though 92% of brands stress the importance of evaluating influencer performance to determine return on investment, they also admit that finding the right influencers is a significant challenge in achieving the necessary ROI.

Moreover, influencer cooperation is about shared values as much as economic value. Successful influencer campaigns will go beyond traditional KPIs like engagement and reach and concentrate instead on creating long-lasting bonds through narrative storytelling, shared experiences, and ideals.

Speaking about the report, James Wright, global CEO of the HAVAS Red Group and global chairman of the HAVAS PR Global Network, said, “As an industry, we’ve observed how the influencer category is ever-expanding and increasingly emerging and recognised as a performance channel. Influencer marketing is driving measurable opportunities for both consumers and corporate brands globally, delivering higher engagement and paving the way for accelerated consumer conversion.” 

“Our report delves into influencer marketing at an industry level to help brands navigate the evolving landscape and inform strategic thinking. The findings of this report are insightful for brands when shaping their overall strategy, as it demonstrates the scale of influencer marketing, as well as offering insight into how and why brands are engaging with influencers. Brands that succeed in 2024 will be creatively integrating influencers into wider campaigns as a full-funnel marketing channel,” Wright added. 

Meanwhile, Kenny Yap, managing director of Havas Red Singapore, stated, “Today, we see implementing influencer marketing engagements in most clients’ communication plans. But to do it well, there are many areas to look at, from the brand affinity and fit, influencer and clout, and storytelling narrative to optimal formats. At HAVAS Red, we adopt a data- driven approach leveraging tools and technology to deliver clear influencer marketing success for our clients.” 

In order to determine the evolution of influencer marketing, HAVAS Red polled clients in ten markets: Singapore, UAE, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, United States, and the United Kingdom. These customers come from a variety of fields and industries, including health, food and drink, wellness, and technology, as well as industry, tourism, and the automobile journey.

Singapore – Over three in five (42%) Singaporeans who enjoy camping or caravanning during holidays consider automotive brand BMW to be a ‘leader in innovation and technology’, a survey by YouGov found. 

Tesla comes in second, with one in three (32%) viewing it as an innovation leader, followed by Audi (26%), Toyota (24%), and Mercedes-Benz (23%), where a quarter say the same.

Meanwhile, Hyundai and Mitsubishi (all 14%) tie for the sixth spot among camping and caravanning enthusiasts, just before Mazda, KIA, and Porsche (all 13%), who are in seventh place, and Suzuki (11%) in eighth.

Finally, Lexus and Jaguar (both 10%) and Nissan and Infiniti (both 9%) round up the top 10 automotive brands most viewed as technologically innovative in Singapore.

Interestingly, when taking all Singapore consumers into consideration, Tesla overtakes BMW as the brand most seen as a leader in innovation and technology, while Toyota comes in third before Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Philippines – A staggering 89% of leaders in the Philippines believe their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive, according to a report from Microsoft Corp. and LinkedIn.

The report showed that AI holds value for many Filipinos at the leadership level, with 89% believing it will give them a competitive edge. This puts the Philippines ahead of its global and regional counterparts at 79% and 84%, respectively.

Meanwhile, 55% of Filipino leaders are concerned that their organisation lacks a clear plan and vision for implementing AI. Although this figure is lower than the global and regional averages of 78% and 61%, respectively, it highlights potential consequences when local companies cannot meet the growing demand for AI resources.

Microsoft and LinkedIn’s data further shows that employees want AI at work, and they are making the move to use it themselves without waiting for their companies to catch up. 

In the Philippines, 86% of Filipino knowledge workers use AI at work, higher than the global average of 75% and the regional average of 83%. 

Additionally, 83% of Filipino AI users bring their own AI tools to work, practicing what is called ‘Bring Your Own AI’ (BYOAI), which introduces privacy, security, and legal risks for companies. This trend is also observed globally, with 78% of employees participating in BYOAI, and regionally at 79%.

For employees, having skills in AI will not only benefit the company but also them as individual workers. It ‘raises the bar and breaks the career ceiling’, as the report stated. 

In the data, it was revealed that 70% of Filipino leaders now will only hire someone with AI skills, a preference that is seen in 66% and 70% of global and regional leaders, respectively.

Interestingly, a smaller percentage of Filipino leaders (68%) are willing to hire a less experienced employee with AI skills over a more experienced candidate, compared to the global and regional averages of 71% and 76%, respectively.

Furthermore, because of the growing demand for AI in the hiring market, mentions in LinkedIn job posts grew by 17%, and 142x more users globally added AI skills to their profiles as of last year.

Considering all this data, Microsoft and LinkedIn suggest that for Philippine workplaces to stay ahead, they must take advantage of demand and start investing in AI to equip their employees with tools and skills to remain competitive.

As part of the report, Microsoft and LinkedIn also discussed the rise of AI power users. An ‘AI power user’ is someone who uses technology several times a week, saving 30 minutes of work daily. 

In the Philippines, the data shows that 86% of power users frequently start their day with AI, while another 86% use it to plan for the next. Demand is high among AI power users in the Philippines. They are 52% more likely to ask coworkers about useful prompts compared to 40% of global users, and 65% more likely to experiment with different ways of using AI compared to 68% of global users.

Filipino AI power users are significantly more likely to hear from their leadership about the importance of generative AI—57% more likely from their CEO, 41% more likely from their department head, and 107% more likely from their manager’s manager, compared to 61%, 40%, and 42% for global AI power users, respectively.

However, while Filipino power users are increasingly interested in learning about technology, the report reveals that they aren’t being trained enough. 

Only 30% are more likely to get training, especially on prompts (23% more likely) and using AI for their specific role or function (37% more likely). Globally, the percentage of AI power users likely to get training is 42%, and regionally, it is 36%.

Atul Harkisanka, Philippines country lead at LinkedIn, said, “As the Philippines witnesses a transformative shift in the workplace due to AI, companies are realising the need for a new talent playbook. With how rapidly the talent ecosystem evolves, leaders who prioritise agility and invest in skills development to build an AI-ready workforce gain a competitive edge.” 

“68% of Filipino business leaders will hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills, emphasising the urgency and importance for professionals to focus on advancing their AI aptitude through upskilling. Meanwhile, our data shows a 65% increase in learning hours for the top 100 AI/GAI courses from 2022 to 2023 on LinkedIn Learning. A record number of learners took the top AI courses on LinkedIn since January 2023 across Southeast Asia, Australia, and India.”

Meanwhile, Peter Maquera, CEO of Microsoft Philippines, shared, “2023 will be remembered as the year of AI, but this year we will start to see real impact as we move from potential applications to living innovations. The current state of AI adoption in the Philippines is very promising. We’re seeing innovation at scale across industries through our customers, who are unlocking efficiency, personalisation, security, and sustainability by applying AI solutions to their challenges and priorities.” 

“In terms of the workforce, our 2024 Work Trend Index shows Filipino employees are leading not just Asia but the world in leveraging AI to help boost productivity, efficiency, and creativity. More and more, the AI business imperative is becoming clearer, but there are still opportunities to explore and imperatives to take. Microsoft is committed to empowering this broad transformation as we bring more advanced AI technologies and platforms to the world, as well as insights to guide our customers and partners.”

Singapore – Singaporeans spent more than 30 million hours on hold to address a customer service complaint or issue, according to new research, by digital workflow company ServiceNow. 

Data from the research suggests that the average person in Singapore spent approximately two full working days (equivalent to 16.1 hours) on hold last year equivalent to a staggering loss of S$1.24 billion in wages nationwide.

According to the study, 34% of Singaporeans are having to resolve issues by themselves because of poor service, with their top frustrations including having to repeat their issues to multiple people/departments (60%), being transferred to multiple people or departments (53%), and the relentless wait on hold (42%).

With this in mind, respondents believe the nation is ‘stuck on hold’ due to staff not having any power to make decisions/resolve issue (52%), lack of ownership and responsibility between different departments (48%), inefficient communications within the organisations (48%), customer service departments being understaffed or overwhelmed (47%), and customer service staff not listening to the customer (40%).

72% of Singaporeans have even less patience with bad service because of inflated costs; with a similar number of locals (70%) thinking that customer service is getting worse because companies are cutting costs. 70% of Singaporeans also reported encountering service disruptions from key providers. On average, each Singaporean experienced two disruptions each year.

Furthermore, 1 in 3 respondents believe that the time they spent on hold in 2023 is an increase from the previous year; almost 1 in 2 respondents (43%) believe the time it takes to resolve an issue has also increased. 43% of Singaporeans say their expectations of an organisation’s customer service department has increased in 2023.

Notably, the research also compared generational service experiences, revealing signs of a digital divide in customer service quality. Baby Boomers were left waiting the longest for service in Singapore, in 2023, spending an average of 5.7 days for their issue to be resolved. For younger generations, it takes around 2 days less on average to have their issues resolved.

When asked about the quality of customer service that they want to be provided with, the respondents cited that exemplary customer service for them is having the issue resolved quickly (67%), getting through to someone quickly by phone, chat or in person (52%), having an empathetic customer service agent who cares (47%), being able to track progress (46%), and a customer service agent knowing all your service details/interaction history (42%).

Talking about these results, Wee Luen Chia, managing director at ServiceNow Asia, said, “A better customer experience starts with clearer visibility of where and why processes are currently letting customers down. Only then can organisations invest in improving operations, to consolidate, augment, or replace the service gaps. Instead of betting on quick-fix solutions, customer experience requires a long-term commitment to building service roadmaps to progressively meet and even exceed Singaporeans’ evolving expectations.”

“To break this downward spiral and earn back trust, customer service needs to enable the service teams to do their best work. Routing the right people to the right process, at the right time will solve the customer’s issue fast – this is where automation and AI technologies can deliver their best work in the service of employees and also for customers,” he added.

Singapore –Asia-Pacific destinations now occupy half of the top 10 trending hot spots that have demonstrated the greatest momentum among travellers, the report from the Mastercard Economics Institute showed. 

According to the report, APAC is home to half of the world’s top 10 trending tourism destinations, with Japan emerging at first, followed by Malaysia on sixth, Australia on seventh, South Korea on eighth, and Indonesia on tenth. This is measured and ranked by the change in share of tourism transactions over the past 12 months ending March 2024. 

Japan tops the trending list worldwide after welcoming a record-breaking 3 million visitors from abroad in March 2024. This is by far the country’s highest level ever, a huge feat considering the numbers are recorded even before the peak travel season begins. 

The country’s favourable exchange rate is expected to help it remain the clear tourism frontrunner throughout 2024, benefiting Japanese businesses catering to tourists and the local economy overall. 

While APAC’s trending destinations continue to capture attention, Mastercard reports a notable rebound in passenger traffic, especially for shorter, intra-regional trips to top summer spots like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Perth. Consequently, Thailand’s tourism is poised for a full recovery in 2024, with visitor arrivals now just 7% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Bangkok currently sits at number 7 among the summer holiday hot spots, ranking behind Bali at six and Tokyo, which is leading in APAC at second. 

The report also recorded Chinese mainland domestic tourism rebounding while outbound travel continues to recover. The country’s travel dynamic has been affected by more Chinese tourists prioritising domestic trips over international ones. As of writing, international tourism traffic leaving the Chinese mainland continues to recover and is now at 80.3% of 2019 levels. 

And while outbound travel from the Chinese mainland continues to recover, the report also revealed that more Indians are travelling than at any time in history. In the first three months of 2024, 97 million passengers travelled through Indian airports, a figure that would’ve taken a whole year to achieve 10 years ago. This rise in figures is driven by a burgeoning middle class, additional route capacity, and a strong desire to travel.

Another interesting piece of data Mastercard’s report has unveiled is that travellers to APAC are vacationing longer and prioritising experiences over purchases. Excluding ANZ, tourists in APAC in 2024 are extending their trips by an average of 1.2 days to a total duration of 7.4 days, motivated by the affordability of destinations, warm weather, and favourable exchange rates. 

Among the APAC destinations with the longest increase in trip duration between 2019 and 2024 are India (+2 days), Vietnam (+2 days), Indonesia (+1.9 days), and Japan (+1.4 days), largely due to their lower growth in hotel prices during this period compared to other markets. This longer stay generally translates to more spending per trip, which benefits local economies. 

Consumers globally are also continuing to prioritise experiences over material goods. This is playing out in the travel sector, as spending on experiences and nightlife totals 12% of tourism sales—the highest point in at least five years. Meanwhile, retail shopping is recovering at a slower pace. 

Australian tourists are found to be the highest spenders globally on experiences and nightlife. In 2024, Aussies will spend one of every five dollars (19%) on these activities, significantly higher than the global average (12%). Tourists from the Chinese mainland are also increasingly seeking out experiences, spending 10% on this category in 2024, up from 7% in 2023. 

Finally, Mastercard’s report reveals that while tourists today generally favour laid-back vibes, they still seek out luxury retail and fine dining when these offer exceptional value for money. Notably, luxury fashion sales saw a significant year-over-year increase in the year ending March 2024, with Japan experiencing a 152% rise and Hong Kong SAR a remarkable 208% surge. Hong Kong SAR’s late reopening in 2023 contributed to its growth, whereas Japan’s increase is driven by a weak yen and strong inbound tourism.

Australia, India, and Thailand now enjoy burgeoning fine dining scenes, leading to premium dining outperformance compared to casual dining, which remains dominant elsewhere. 

David Mann, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Mastercard, said, “Consumers in the Asia Pacific region have an intense desire and willingness to travel and are becoming increasingly savvy to ensure they get the best value and unforgettable experiences from their trips. For tourism authorities, retailers, and the hospitality and F&B sectors, the bottom line is that costs matter. In today’s economy, foreign exchange rates and spending power have become vital components in driving a traveller’s assessment of value when they are making their plans. This suggests that businesses targeting tourism dollars need to review their current  strategies and shift them if necessary to maintain their appeal to travellers.” 

“Amidst the evolving tourism landscape and continuing surge in travel throughout 2024, the Mastercard Economics Institute aids businesses and policymakers in translating macroeconomic forces and data insights into actionable strategies at the country, category, and company levels, in addition to counselling on possible scenarios and the implications they have on demand,” he added. 

Singapore – Around 82% of brands using AI to streamline workflows and automate content generation have experienced increased operational efficiency, market research by CleverTap revealed. 

CleverTap’s market research found that more than half, or 64%, of respondents use AI to build personalised experiences and content resonating with individual preferences at scale with real-time experimentation for optimal engagement. 

Meanwhile, 39% have leveraged AI for automated decision-making and taking more informed decisions by analysing large volumes of data, predicting outcomes, and strategizing for the next best action. 

The research further revealed that 54% of respondents have actually achieved faster content generation and campaign rollout with AI. 

In terms of adoption of AI by teams within a brand, 71.4% of respondents highlighted that AI capabilities are most extensively utilised by content teams, underscoring the pivotal role AI plays in content generation. 

Growth marketing teams follow at 57.1%, demonstrating a strong use of AI in strategizing and expanding marketing efforts. Central marketing and product teams also integrate AI into their operations, though to a lesser extent.

CleverTap found that brands today miss out on 4x higher conversions and improved business value due to inefficient AI adoption. This is why the all-in-one engagement platform recommends that brands in the early stages of AI adoption should strive to advance to more advanced levels. This progression involves transitioning from utilising AI solely for operational efficiency to harnessing it for personalisation, experimentation, and ultimately, strategic planning and decision-making.

Commenting on the report, Jacob Joseph, VP of data science at CleverTap, said, “AI is the catalyst reshaping every facet of today’s brands—from optimising operations and enriching customer engagement to revolutionising decision-making. The insights highlighted in our 2024 market research report offer a great strategic approach for brands at the initial stages of AI adoption. They should aim to progress, gain maturity, and achieve significant improvements in conversion rates and business value. After all, AI in customer engagement or in a tech stack is no longer just an enhancement but a necessity for a competitive advantage while addressing evolving customer expectations.”

Singapore – Southeast Asians are more active on social media than their global counterparts, and are now the world’s most active gamers, according to a report by creative agency We Are Social and social and media intelligence firm Meltwater. 

According to the report, social media users in Southeast Asia are all above the global average in terms of usage rate, and that the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam took all three of the top spots in the latest rankings for percentage of internet users playing video games worldwide.

Going further into detail, this above average rate of social media use in Southeast Asia encompasses countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, with users in the Philippines notably spending 3 hours and 30 minutes each day on social media – an extra 1 hour and 10 minutes above the global average.

With the TikTok app, Southeast Asians surpass the global average time spent on TikTok which is 31 hours and 47 minutes, as Indonesia clocks in with 38h 24m, followed by Malaysia (38h 7m), Thailand (37h 18m), the Philippines (36h 49m), Vietnam (36h 16m), and Singapore (32h 59m).

Gaming is also very popular within the region, with Filipinos taking the top spot as 96.5% are seen as active gamers, followed by Indonesians (95.3%) and the Vietnamese (94.7%).

This prominence of usage in the area also extends to viewing video content as 97.4% of internet users in the Philippines watch TV via streaming services – above the global average of 92.7% and the second highest globally. Similarly, the nation tops watching music videos online (72.9%) and vlogs (49.9%). 

Other notable areas where Southeast Asians record higher than average is YouTube, wherein Thailand spends the second most time globally using YouTube’s app with 42 hours and 49 minutes each month, and podcasts, with nearly twice as many Indonesians (40.2%) listening to podcasts each week compared with their global counterparts.

The report also found out that Gen Z are the biggest users of search engines and email, as more than 83% of the demographic used a search engine in the past month, which is higher than any other age group. Young women, who are the biggest users of TikTok, are actually the most prolific users of search engines.

Lastly, despite assumptions about the generation, data shows that Gen Z is also the biggest users of email with around three-quarters using email each month.

Singapore – Around 70% of Gen Zs in the region saw e-commerce platforms as important entrance points for their purchasing experiences, and that they use these platforms extensively for researching their purchases. This is according to the latest data from Shopee and Kantar Profiles

The majority of Gen Z respondents (73%) said they conducted their product research and discovery through alternative channels, but they made their purchases on e-commerce platforms. Remarkably, 56% of people who use social commerce platforms for research at first would rather finish their transactions on e-commerce platforms.

A number of important variables contribute to consumers’ choice for e-commerce: a large product selection (79%), high product quality (77%), and easy payment options (59%).

One in three members of Gen Z said in the study that they would spend at least five days researching their purchases. This includes things like viewing product demos and reading reviews (27%), looking over price details (14%), and researching the features and specs of the product (24%). Even with their research methodology, they rank next-day delivery services and a return and refund procedure as their top priorities when making purchases.

Moreover, eight out of ten Gen Z respondents to the survey stated that they are looking for interesting and enjoyable purchasing experiences. This shows how content touchpoints like Shopee Live are to their purchasing experience. 

Ian Ho, vice president of Shopee, stated, “Gen Zs in Southeast Asia highly value using e-commerce platforms for product research and purchases, emphasising their need for a smooth, reliable, and integrated shopping experience. From enhancing service levels to providing new types of shopping entertainment content, our latest initiatives draw on shoppers’ feedback.”

He added, “As the leading e-commerce marketplace in the region, we are fully committed to continuously innovating and enhancing their experience to meet their evolving needs. We look forward to continued support from our valued customers.”