fbpx
SheCreative Network
Philippine News

Media Atlas

At a gathering in Greenbelt 3, Synovate joined the bandwagon of research companies intent on dazzling us with online data trends.  Synovate Executive Director for Media, Steve Garton, shared several insights from the firm’s latest Media Atlas on Asian youth.
According to the study, Filipino youth are at par with their Asian and European counterparts in social networking, because the speed of technology puts users at the same level worldwide.  Music, celebrities, sports and cartoon characters are loved at the same level across cultures, though culture dictates the specifics. For example, Filipino kids love Sponge Bob, while he leaves their Euro counterparts cold.  “The youth are united by technology, but distinguished by local tastes,” says Garton.
“That is a real issue for the economy (in the Philippines).  As the youth get more educated, if you don’t have internet access, say to Wikipedia and similar sites, it limits and segments online culture,” he continues.  Of course, it’s the economy.  Pinoys with online access may be as tech-savvy as their global counterparts, but they access within the confines of internet cafés, rather than wi-fi.  The difference is household spending power. 
This potentially insidious divide may start at early.  Research identifies the “youth market” as eight years of age, perhaps a portent of a totally digital future. “When you question kids about being internet-savvy, they say ‘not really,’ because they’ve grown up with it.  They are making a relative judgment,” reveals Garton.  Having grown up with technology, software and multi-tasking, today’s Asian kids have much higher standards for what constitutes a geek.
This was not the most amazing news for marketers. Asked what they cannot do without, kids chose the internet as a runaway winner, with mobile phones a close second.  TV was a distant no. 3, and only for entertainment (not information).  TV is laid back, always in the background, a music box with pictures.  Kids might not be watching less TV, but they are paying less attention.
But marketing-wise, online cannot yet stand alone; it has to be integrated into traditional media, as part of a full campaign.  “In terms of share of mind, 40% of media time is internet, while youth market is around 15-20% share of mind. But why is it that advertisers have failed to realize that, and share of (online) budget is only around 1-2%?” asks Garton.
Suffice it to say that, in the last 10 years, brand research has come a long way in under-standing the market.  ROI is now a return of involvement, while internet/online advertising is about engagement.   For the young, the internet is a medium that conveys authority and commitment, yet it can also be a best friend. A blogger may command high respect or none at all.  “Stop using the term ‘target market,’” Garton says.  In other words, you do not target your market; the market targets you, by being engaged enough to respond. 
Other interesting findings: three-year olds can use the mobile phone, and already have tastes and listening preferences. In Filipino families, OFW families and single parent-hood are not as pervasive as we assumed; a traditional Catholic upbringing is still the norm. But contrary to perceptions that the internet is only for the young, there is a significant spike in 55-64 year olds chatting online. China is not one entity, but a group of vastly different cultures per city and per region, with Hong Kong a separate region entirely.  
In closing, Garton advised that the days of traditional market research are gone. “Always go for the details. You can’t calculate an average from pygmies and giants. Look at the way that digital focuses on individuals; on small, discrete consumer groups. Old models are being broken and can they can never be rebuilt. They are being deconstructed.”

Partner with adobo Magazine

Related Articles

Back to top button