MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The latest Nielsen Consumer & Media View (CMV) Rural Survey has revealed key insights into the habits, preferences, and platforms driving media consumption among rural Filipinos—a sizeable consumer group comprising 46% of the population.
The research also highlights the growth of digital connectivity in more isolated regions and the evolving entertainment choices now available to audiences outside major cities. This is largely due to 91% of Filipinos in rural areas now owning a smartphone, with 87% having internet access, bridging the rural–urban divide.
However, traditional media still plays a crucial role in reaching rural consumers, with AM radio more widely listened to in rural areas than in major cities, giving advertisers a strong platform to connect with engaged local audiences. Likewise, Asian TV dramas hold significantly stronger appeal in rural communities than in urban centres.
The food tastes of rural Filipinos also differ from their city counterparts, with powdered juice and coffee more popular in rural areas than in cities.
Country Lead for Nielsen Agencies and Advertisers, Philippines, Winlove Chavez, said “Nielsen CMV’s Rural Survey data allows brands and marketers to truly understand how rural Filipinos are consuming media and what platforms they’re engaging with regularly.
It can rapidly drive market share and growth, expand presence in rural areas, track product consumption, and enable localised activations. The latest Q3 data from North, Central and South Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao represents 38.4 million Filipinos. These insights are critical for any advertiser looking to meaningfully connect with audiences outside urban areas.”
Nielsen Managing Director, Asia, Adrienne Wong, added “Understanding what drives rural audiences is essential. This data gives businesses the tools and insights they need to maximise success. As rural markets become more connected, they’re becoming far more important to advertisers, making this kind of data a must-have.”
Nielsen’s Rural Survey is the most comprehensive national rural audience and consumer study in the Philippines, drawing on 2,000 face-to-face interviews across rural areas, delivering a representative sample size of 3.8 million.
