Tag: Study

Singapore – Around 70% of Singaporeans have adopted carrying a reusable shopping bag as a common practice to cut back on plastic use, a survey from YouGov revealed. 

According to the survey, Singaporeans are now taking more drastic steps to reduce the use of plastic in their daily routine as problems with plastic pollution increase. 

A top action across all age groups is the carrying of reusable shopping bags, which 70% of Singaporeans have now adopted to cut back on their plastic use. This is followed by using reusable containers for storage (55%), and reusing old plastic shopping bags (52%).

Additionally, reusing takeaway containers for storage (48%), avoiding plastic cutlery (45%), carrying a reusable bottle or cup (44%), reusing plastic bottles for future use (42%), and avoiding plastic straws (41%), are some of the other ways in which Singaporeans are checking their plastic usage.

Interestingly, the survey also showed that baby boomers and GenX are the ones most likely to take all the listed actions as compared to GenZ and millennials. 

YouGov’s survey also revealed that Singaporeans largely favour plastic items being banned, with the population being more likely to support than oppose a ban across all the listed products.

Over half of the Singaporean respondents support the ban on drinking straws, disposable coffee cups, and foam egg boxes. 

Furthermore, almost half are proposing a ban on plastic bags in supermarkets (50%), takeaway containers (49%), coffee machine capsules, and condiment sachets (47% each).

However, it is worth noting again that the ban on items on the list was supported more by baby boomers, especially when compared to the younger generation.

Based on the data, it shows that boomers and GenX are more likely than the younger generation to reduce the use of plastic in their daily lives.

A part of the reduced and more conscious usage of disposable plastics, especially when shopping, can also be attributed to a regulation passed in 2023 by Singapore, where the country required supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than S$100 million to charge customers at least S$0.05 for each disposable carrier bag.

A year after the regulations were placed, the survey recorded that more than four in five Singaporeans believed that the rule changed their usage of plastic bags, with one in eight (12%) saying it changed to a very large extent.

Seven in ten residents claim they have started carrying their own shopping bags since this rule was implemented in supermarkets (69%). However, one in eight end up paying extra for disposable carrier bags (13%). 

Meanwhile, a small proportion (6%) shared that they have started shopping online instead, while one in ten (11%) reported not experiencing any changes to their shopping behaviour.

Consistent with the data reported by YouGov on the survey, baby boomers are shown to be more likely to carry their own shopping bags, while younger consumers like Gen Z and millennials are more likely than others to pay for a bag or resort to online shopping.

Chi Wei Teo, general manager at YouGov Singapore, said, “It is delightful to see people embracing and making conscious efforts to reuse plastic and to show support for initiatives limiting the use of plastic. As the data shows, the older cohort seems to be taking more responsibility for reducing plastic usage as compared to their younger counterparts. However, there needs to be greater understanding and involvement from youth to build momentum. Not just the government, but companies, brands, and the general public need to create awareness about preserving the environment and adopting a greener lifestyle.”

Singapore – Yahoo Advertising has partnered with global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform VIOOH in a new whitepaper examining the potential outcomes of including programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) within multi-channel campaigns.

By examining a series of case studies, the joint whitepaper outlines how advertisers can maximise multi-channel campaign impact through the inclusion of prDOOH. It includes how to optimise targeting, increase brand awareness, and drive consumer behaviour offline and online by leveraging the strengths of both broadcast and digital channels to deliver ROI.

Analysis findings in the report showed that the inclusion of prDOOH in multi-channel media plans can drive more attention, boost engagement, and improve overall campaign effectiveness.

The report states that the inclusion of prDOOH in a multi-channel media plan adds incremental value to the return on investment (ROI) of the digital media mix due to the priming effect, as DOOH plays an important role in preparing consumers for conversions during re-engagements on other channels.

To support the notion that there is indeed a ‘priming effect’, the report examined a multi-market campaign from Jones Lang LaSalle across Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong and a campaign from Schroders in Singapore, where prDOOH was used alongside digital channels to drive incremental online campaign results.

From this, analysis results emphasised the power of the offline priming effect and positive impact on ROI, as campaigns included significantly increased website visit rates for audiences primed by prDOOH and a +80% overall mobile retargeting click-through rate (CTR) for prDOOH-primed audiences.

Furthermore, the whitepaper revealed that prDOOH as a channel can boost offline outcomes in terms of sales and footfall as a result of its ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics and flexibility as a programmatic medium.

Looking through various case study results, a 15% incremental increase in sales for Danone Aptamil in the UK is attributable directly to prDOOH, and a 37% increase in sales when combined alongside digital channels. Additionally, a campaign with Tourism Tasmania in Australia showed prDOOH contributed to a 31% lift in website visits, with the overall campaign responsible for a 51% increase in visitation to Tasmania.

These results support the idea that prDOOH’s ‘attention-grabbing’ characteristics have the ability to boost ROI by driving sales and footfall.

The idea behind the whitepaper comes from the State of the Nation for programmatic DOOH report released by VIOOH earlier this year. The report outlined the key request from advertisers, which is to understand how prDOOH fits within multi-channel campaigns and how to best measure its impact.

Helen Miall, CMO at VIOOH, said, “This whitepaper has been prompted by a significant increase in demand for prDOOH from advertisers, and a desire to understand how it can best be used alongside and within multi-channel campaigns. This report highlights its potential for delivering effective campaigns across upper and lower funnel tactics, and how prDOOH can be successfully combined with individual media to drive campaign effectiveness.” 

Also speaking on the whitepaper, Andrew Gilbert, director of platforms for AUSEA at Yahoo, shared, “In today’s landscape, adopting a multi-channel approach to campaign planning and buying has become standard practice for many advertisers who seek to understand how they can best combine different channels to maximum effect. Programmatic is enabling DOOH to be planned, activated, and optimised alongside other channels, with display, audio, and social emerging as the most popular channels for pairing.”

Singapore – A staggering 98% of B2B marketers in Southeast Asia are already utilising influencer marketing, yet 60% are still not experiencing improved lead generation from B2B marketing activity, a new Ogilvy study shows. 

The research shows that B2B influence is among the fastest-growing marketing priorities in SEA.

In an interview with 550 chief marketing officers (CMOs) across 11 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, from brands including LinkedIn, Dell, EY, IBM, and Samsung, it was shown that 75% of B2B marketers are now utilising B2B influencer marketing. Additionally, 93% of those are already planning to increase influencer activity.

Furthermore, the survey, which polled marketing leaders from across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the USA, showed that C-suite leaders are already recognising the potential of B2B influence activity in building a credible brand and supporting lead generation.

Half of 49% believe influencers can help their brands be more credible and trusted, while 40% experienced improved leads or sales because of influencer marketing strategies.

In Asia specifically, industry adoption is soaring, with almost 94% of businesses in the region already integrating B2B influencer marketing into their strategies, and among them, 77% have expressed their intention to further increase their investments in this area. With this number, it is expected that those who haven’t formulated a B2B influencer marketing strategy may find themselves falling behind their competitors.

When it comes to influence effectiveness, 66% of businesses found that B2B influencers deliver more significant impact when compared to traditional brand-only marketing approaches. Further adding to this, almost all of the industry executives in Asia consider B2B influencers on social media as vital tools for staying updated and engaging with their respective industries (98%). This surpasses the global average of 90%.

Meanwhile, the study also showed that more than half of industry executives in Asia incorporate insights gleaned from B2B influencers into their presentations. Similarly, over 50% of these executives actively share relevant content with their network.

However, despite these impressive numbers and high usage, the survey also showed a worrying percentage of B2B influencer marketing potential that is still not realised or utilised properly.

The findings of the survey suggested that no teams are utilising after-sales influence to its full potential, despite 47% agreeing there is an opportunity for B2B influencers to have the biggest impact during after-sales when executed correctly. With 60% not yet experiencing improved lead generation from B2B marketing activity, there is also a large opportunity to immediately realise more value from influencer marketing.

In addition, the global research pointed out some missed opportunities for ROI, considering there is a symbiotic relationship between employees and influencers that few CMOs have spotted, with limited numbers identifying that employees can be influencers themselves. 

With this, the global report has pointed out three key imperatives that CMOs can use to improve their B2B influencer marketing strategies.

First, peer-to-peer 2.0, which is a widely recognised marketing channel to reassure prospective buyers and revolutionise digital relationships and professional communication. Second, the holistic growth approach recognises the importance of including influencers in the entire business operation and integrating them into the post-sales experience. Lastly, CEOs and CMOs must recognise their employees as valuable assets in promoting their brand, with each having a network of connections outside the company.

Commenting on the study, Emily Poon, President of PR and influence in Asia at Ogilvy, said, “With 66% of CMOs in Asia saying they find B2B influencers more impactful than their usual marketing activities, a B2B influencer marketing strategy has become a must-have for brands and businesses. Our global research— the first-of-its-kind—with local insights from senior marketers in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines provides actionable steps for CMOs, communications, and business leaders in the region to turn influencers into the most versatile full-funnel tool in their B2B marketing communications armoury.”

Ashutosh Gupta, country manager and head of online sales for LinkedIn APAC, also added, “B2B companies are increasingly choosing creative ways to connect with their target audience in a more authentic and engaging way. A big reason behind this trend is the trust and credibility that these experts offer. On LinkedIn, we have seen industry leaders carve a niche for themselves as thought leaders in their space, where their opinions hold significance within their network. Thought leaders often provide a more genuine connection than brand advertising thanks to the fundamental trust that is already fostered between them and their network over time.”

The Philippines – At least seven in every 10 employees are exploring job prospects with other companies regardless of how satisfied they are with their current employers, while six out of 10 see themselves working for another employer in the next two years, according to the 2022 Happiness Study commissioned by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of the Philippines (4As Philippines).

In the study, Gen Z (57%), Xennials (69%), and even Gen X (73%) expressed high levels of satisfaction, while Millennials represented the least satisfied group, with only 41% admitting to experiencing ‘happiness’.

“Arriving at a time when employers are attempting to balance the convenience of working from home with mandatory in-office days, the 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned to gain insights into current advertising employees, 74% of which joined the workforce during the pandemic,” said 4As Chairperson Golda Roldan.

Moreover, at least seven in every 10 employees cited a lack of long-term mentorship or training as their main reason for leaving, with at least seven in every 10 employees seeing their supervisors as friends and allies rather than long-term trainers. Furthermore, only four in 10 reported that they received adequate mentorship after the first year.

The study also unveiled that four out of 10 respondents stated their desire to seek greener pastures in the form of compensation and incentives.

The study also showed a generation gap when it came to the relationship between one’s loyalty to their company and that with one’s peers: While 66% of Gen Z respondents expressed affinity with their peers and only 45% with their companies, respondents in the higher age ranges were more likely to find belongingness with their companies over their peers.

“All told, the study found that, while happiness was irrelevant to whether or not employees stayed, overall satisfaction could be increased,” Roldan added.

She also said that for Gen Zs, being the newest members of the workforce, purpose and meaning were major factors in considering a workplace. As for achieving employee satisfaction, incentives, adequate, ongoing training in an environment where they can grow professionally were key.

The 2022 Happiness Study was commissioned by the 4As to determine the happiness levels and sentiments of talent within the advertising industry. A quantitative online survey was conducted for the study from August 24 to October 24, 2022, which involved 38 advertising agencies.

Indonesia – As Indonesian consumers observed their ramadan plans, a latest research from market research company YouGov reveals that Jakarta-based Traveloka is the most preferred online travel company for bookings in the said season, with 42% of these travellers purchased their mudik transport tickets from the said company.

Meanwhile, 35% of mudik travellers used tiket.com for their bookings whilst 11% preferred booking.com.

The research also showed the most popular mudik travel period, with 45% of the respondents said that they prefer to do it 2-6 days before Eid al-Fitr/Idul Fitri. 14% preferred the dates during the time of Eid and 13% prefers to travel 2-6 days after Eid.

Moreover, it was revealed that 45% of the consumers who observe Ramadan plan to perform mudik travel back to their hometowns this year. 33% do not plan to travel back, while 22% are undecided during the time of polling.

The said study was conducted online on 2-6 March, with 2,067 respondents in Indonesia aged 18 and above, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov.

Singapore – With more consumers embracing the culture of the metaverse, latest consumer research by Yahoo reveals the expectations of consumers towards the phenomenon – from the aspects of virtual social communities, avatars, immersive entertainment, and creative freedom.

The survey covered 15,000 respondents from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, which are mostly Millennials and Gen Z that make up the ‘metaverse generation’.

The study found that Gen Z and Millennial demographic want distinctly different things from the metaverse whilst aiming to enhance and upgrade experiences. In addition, both generation sees different realities or digital avatars, which gives a cue for marketers that free creation is essential. 

Furthermore, the study found out that the said cohort of consumers focus on the appeal of digital assets, embracing virtual collectables such as artworks, profile pictures, gaming goods, limited-edition cards, videos, and music pieces. With these, the metaverse generation is also more receptive to brands that aren’t afraid to jump into the metaverse for their marketing or advertising campaigns and, therefore, pay more attention to a brand’s events and products.

Moreover, security is also a concern of these consumers where they try to find for a safer and more accessible space to protect their privacy and personal information in the metaverse.

Zoe Cocker, director of innovation and creative studio at Yahoo, says that despite the hype towards Metaverse, there is less knowledge about the expectations of consumers.

“This hyperlocal level of detail and insights goes beyond wider trends you are seeing in the press, making them actionable for brands wanting to build in this space and create real value for divergent audiences,” she added.

Manila, Philippines – The move towards a cashless society in the Philippines is becoming more evident, with the latest study from Visa unveiling that around 84% of Filipinos have tried going cashless in favour of digital payments, while 60% of Filipinos say that they are carrying less cash nowadays.

According to the report, cashless payment usage in the country is increasing across a variety of payment options, where Filipinos’ have a preference to use mobile wallets (64%), card payments online (52%), card payments at physical merchants (44%), and QR payments (31%). This shows that the pandemic has also driven the uptake of cashless payment methods, especially mobile wallets and card payments online, with a large number of first-time users due to the pandemic.

Dan Wolbert, country manager for the Philippines and Guam at Visa, said, “While cash is still commonplace in the Philippines, the preference for cashless payments is clearly gaining momentum. Our study showed more Filipinos are confident to get by without cash and for longer periods of time – with more than half feeling confident to get by for a week or longer, as cashless payment options grow.”

Contactless payments, on the other hand, are seen as an emerging payment method in which consumers showed high interest. Eighty-three per cent of Filipinos are aware of contactless payments while 69% have made contactless payments in 2021, up from 66% in 2020.

Wolbert added, “Filipinos believe COVID-19 has accelerated the country’s transition to a cashless society by at least three years. Now, seven out of 10 consumers anticipate that the Philippines can become fully cashless within the next seven to 10 years.”

The report noted that in 2021, the pandemic continued to be the main driver of online shopping growth, especially digital purchases made via e-commerce apps. More consumers turned to online shopping and started using apps or websites to shop for the first time. Movement restriction orders in the past year also led to an increase in in-home spending that included home office products, groceries, personal care items, and content platform subscriptions.

Singapore – Sales used to be a one-off thing, or at least a seasonal event that sees it happening after a particular interval, but now, sales, in the mid of the rise of e-commerce, has now become so much more than just brands offering discounts, but has turned to be a ‘celebration’ of some sort – a celebration of consumers’ buying power and merchants’ easier access to revenue. With this, mega sales are now being held on a regular basis, specifically every identical date of the month – such as ‘7.7’ for July, or ‘8.8’ for August.

The trend on mega sales events quickly transcended online commerce, and is now being joined by offline brands as well. This then makes brands think, how is the consumer behaving amid all this hoo-ha? Short-video platform TikTok conducted a 2021 survey among over 1,800 Southeast Asian users in March 2021, where 82 percent admitted to purchasing a new brand instead of a regular brand during mega sales. 

Moreover, the same survey demonstrated that over half, 55 percent, made unexpected purchases during the said sales events, even when they had prepared a shopping list. This comes as an interesting insight as brands are in constant search of ways to attract new buyers. Adding to this, TikTok’s data also found that during this time, consumers are more open to exploring, with them shopping more across all categories. 

Consumers’ likelihood to demonstrate an adventurous disposition during these mega sales events can be chalked up to the feelings of elation that shoppers have when these special sales arrive. According to a Nielsen Global Authenticity study, likewise commissioned by the short-video platform, 67 percent of users felt ‘happy’ or ‘excited’ towards the mega sales shopping season. 

On that feel-good factor, it seems that shoppers are not only looking to the shopping event itself to ignite these positive feelings but are also expecting it at every step of the experience – becoming more inclined to engage in ‘shoppertainment’ or the fusion of entertainment and shopping. Brands themselves have raised the bar, leveraging today’s digital platforms in order to allure shoppers such as through live streams, short videos, and even augmented reality. 

The same Nielsen study shows that 83 percent of users prefer to see video ads from brands over gifs or text posts. 

Ng Chew Wee, the head of business marketing for TikTok in Southeast Asia, said that people have ceased simply searching for products, but are also searching for ‘people’. 

“This year, we are seeing a rise of Shoppertainment – a convergence of content and commerce – where shoppers expect not just to be sold to, but to be entertained as well. Instead of people searching for products, products are now searching for people. We hope these insights can help businesses own their Mega Sales moment and engage with TikTok’s community of happy users. Happy users, happy buyers!” said Ng Chew Wee.

Manila, Philippines – As more and more Filipinos are using digital banking services, a large part of this new breed of users are now also showing a heightened interest in exploring the use of biometric-authenticated payment systems, a latest study from digital payment company Visa shows.

According to the study, awareness on using these types of digital payment services rose to 80% in 2020, in contrast to 60% in 2019. Furthermore, around 8 in 10 among Filipinos showed interest in biometric-authenticated payment systems, with a greater inclination to the younger and tech-savvy generation demographic in the country.

Biometric payment is perceived as a quick (62%) and innovative (61%) way to pay. In addition five in 10 Filipinos (55%) think it is a more secure way to pay. However, usage is low at 23 percent since its accessibility depends on market availability. 

Finger scan as one of the biometric authentication methods is most popular amongst Filipinos (59%) especially for making bill payments or purchases at the convenience stores. This is followed by facial recognition (31%) and retina scan (16%).

“As more digital-based solutions and trends emerge in the market, Filipinos are more open to new innovations that make payments and banking more convenient, accessible and seamless. There is opportunity in the country for traditional banks and new players to launch digital banking services in the country that will better serve the needs of underserved and underpenetrated segments,” said Dan Wolbert, country manager for the Philippines and Guam at Visa.

The study also noted that over eight in 10 Filipinos (83%) are aware and interested (81%) in using digital banking services. However, only 32% of respondents are currently using services offered by a digital bank. Top interest drivers for Filipinos to use digital banking services include access to banking services anytime of the day (68%), time saved from not having to queue at bank branches (68%) and convenience (67%). 

The general status quo of the Filipino digital payments scene

The study also showed that Filipinos are most keen to work with a financial services brand for digital banking services (93%) and traditional banks (92%), followed by new start-ups with digital banking services (72%). 

Filipinos interested in banking with digital banks are keen to use services such as paying bills (84%), transferring money locally (78%), making deposits and withdrawals (76%), and making payments for purchases at local retail locations (71%). However, the preference of using digital banking for traditional bank services such as investments (52%), international transfers (48%) and loans (46%) is lower.

In addition, 86% of Filipino respondents would switch current banking services to digital banking services if the bank provided better rewards and 85% would do so if they can benefit from lower costs for their banking transactions. Filipinos’ interest to use digital banking services increased to 80% compared to 70% in the previous year when the same research was conducted.

“We believe this will transform the banking and payments landscape in the country and at Visa, we are keen to work with all our partners to help them create better user interface and experience when they create and enhance their digital banking solutions,” Wolbert added.

Sydney, Australia – As e-commerce company Shopify brings to Australia its latest suite of integrated retail hardware and payments for retailers in the country, the company has recently published a study on the status quo of the local retail scene.

According to the study, despite online shopping likely to double, most Aussies still prefer to shop in-store. However, retailers are having to cater to and accommodate new ways of shopping such as contactless payments, local delivery, and click-and-collect that have been accelerated by the global pandemic.

Furthermore, Aussies are increasingly turning online to make their purchases. The research shows the number of shoppers buying mostly online will likely double post-pandemic vs. pre-pandemic, from 7% pre-pandemic to 15% now that many COVID-19 restrictions have started to ease. 

Shopify also noted that buying in brick-and-mortar stores, still tops Australia’s shopping preference with 64% of people choosing to buy mostly in physical stores post-pandemic, compared to 79% before COVID-19.

“We are experiencing a fundamental shift in how people shop following the global pandemic. This new retail renaissance is forcing retailers to adapt to new business models, as digital disruption is fueled by rocketing customer expectations for convenience, personalization, experience, and safety,” said Shaun Broughton, managing director APAC at Shopify.

The report also reveals the number of Australians buying online for click-and-collect or local delivery will continue to grow compared to pre-pandemic. The former increased from 17% pre-pandemic to 23% post-pandemic, and deliveries from online purchases grew from 37% to 43% accordingly. On the other hand, buying through social media is predicted to stay relatively low among Aussies, sitting at 5-6%.

In other data, Shopify noted that the top 3 expectations of consumers are free shipping (64%), easy returns (58%), and efficient customer service (57%). About 8 in 10 shoppers say buying local is important to them, with proximity (77%) and supporting local business owners (60%) cited as the main reasons why. 

Meanwhile, 29% of online shoppers would select pick-up from a physical store location if free-shipping is not available, and 52% expect retailers to offer ‘click-and-collect’. Furthermore, 93% have used a non-cash means of payment while shopping in-store (e.g debit card, credit card, mobile wallet).

“Australia has quickly become an important market for Shopify, so bringing integrated retail hardware and in-store payments to our Australian retail merchants is a pivotal step in future-proofing their businesses,” Broughton added.

Shopify’s hardware launch, categorized under the Shopify Point of Sale (POS) and Shopify Payments suite, aims to bring said benefits:

  • The ability for retailers to accept all major payment methods, however, and wherever they need to in order to make the sale
  • Secure and reliable checkouts for both retailers and customers when completing a sale, all through a single POS system.
  • Unified back office to track and manage sales, payments, and payouts across online and in-person retail all from a single location
  • Returns and exchanges helping retailers assist customers with purchases made online or at other locations
  • Upfront pricing with a single rate for all credit cards and no hidden fees or hardware rental fees