THE PHILIPPINES, MARCH 29, 2012: Based on a study conducted by global research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a significant number of Filipino teens and young adults in their early twenties still considers values a top priority, even as more and more of this market admit that they use online media to create and maintain connections with family and friends.
“They (the youth) care about features and benefits of a product, but they also really care about a brand’s philosophy or point of view,” said Han Delin, TRU’s vice president of global insights. Brands that invite participation and not merely purchases tend to be patronized more. “One of my examples is that a strong brand today, a teenager would be very comfortable to wear the t-shirt with a logo on it; if it’s not a brand that they want, it’s just kind of a commodity, not something that they have a strong emotional connection to.”
More than half of the teen respondents (58%) are now actively immersed in the digital universe; consequently, other online activities such as listening to streaming music have also seen an increase. However, TV still remains the most powerful media based on the study’s results, as the daily incidence of watching television has reached an almost-saturation point at 96%. “Now is the time to connect with the Filipino youth as they begin to develop buying habits and build brand loyalties,” said Abegail Barcelona, TNS Philippines associate research director.
“They are most likely to try something new and purchase something different. They lack a history, they’re able to bring new things into their lives and into their homes much more easily,” added Delin as he explained why the teen and young adult segments are such important and potent markets to consider. “They use technology in a way that wasn’t originally intended,” he added, noting as an example Research in Motion’s Blackberry Messenger or BBM, which was initially meant for business but was “reconfigured” by this young market for socialization.
Companies that are able to understand and connect with Filipino teens and young adults are also the most successful top-of-mind brands, according to the study. Coca Cola, for example, is a global brand with a uniquely Filipino approach. “It is a brand that behaves like a local brand in all of the markets that it is in,” Delin said, which is among the reasons why the brand performs well.
The top brands for Filipino teens are Bench, Jollibee, Nike, Jag, Adidas, Natasha, Nokia, Coke, Avon, and Tribal. For the young adults aged 20 to 24, which TNS Philippines included in the study for the first time, the top ten brands are Jag, Bench, Jollibee, Nokia, Lee, Adidas, Nike, Levi’s, Natasha, and Avon.
“Teen behavior to brands is indicative of where the rest of the market is headed in a very short time,” concluded Delin. “It’s almost like looking into a crystal ball and seeing the future; not the future as in when they grow up, but the future as in 18 months from now or two years from now.”
