THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 2011: To most Filipino teens, imported brands wield no advantage over local ones, or vice versa. This was among the findings laid out in the first Philippine study by global youth research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a company under global leader in custom market research TNS.
“The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition” revealed that approximately 9 out of 10 teenagers see local brands as being at par with other imported US brands. Filipino clothing brand Bench, perceived to be ground-breaking, innovative and of top quality, bagged the coveted number one spot in teens’ list of favorite brands, followed by Nike, Adidas, Jag Jeans, Jollibee, Lee, Levi’s, Avon, Natasha, and Nokia.
Furthermore, the study found that 60% of teens surveyed equate certain brand names with quality and believe that it is important to use branded products. The remaining 40% will not automatically shun an unknown brand, particularly if it happens to meet their other requirements.
TRU conducted its Philippine research on a nationwide sample of 1,000 interviews with teens across socio-economic classes, and covering both rural and urban areas.The study looked into the spending habits of Filipino teens, which comprise 16% of the country’s population. Because of the sheer size of the teen demographic, the study highlighted that Filipino teens are a high-value segment in terms of purchasing power – except that their spending is still subject to their parents’ approval and more importantly, their spending capacity. On average, a Filipino teen spends about PHP278 per week, which amounts to roughly PHP224 billion annually.
“Despite the Filipino teens’ having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage,” explained Ming Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research Director who is the local point person for TRU. “The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition is a great resource for brands and marketing professionals looking to tap the Filipino teen demographic. It provides an understanding of and unparalleled insight into the lives of the Filipino teens.”
Due to various influences from globalization, Filipino teens, as expected, admitted to fully embracing technology, ranking social networking sites (81%), multi-player online games (78%), online photo sharing (75%), PC games (76%) and Smartphones (67%) as the hottest trends today.
Mobile phones are the teens’ gadget of choice due to their functionality and relative affordability. Majority of Filipino teens own mobile phones, among which the Nokia brand dominates, accounting for 75% of all handsets currently owned by Filipino teens. The TRU study noted, however, that despite this brand’s market penetration, there is still much room for growth in the market, especially for affordable but quality phone offerings.
“The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition” also discovered that regardless of how society is evolving, Filipino teens still give importance to family (89%), religion/faith (86%) and personal well-being (84%). These findings transcend gender, age, economic status and geographic differences.
The TRU study showed that Filipino teens have a keen awareness of issues that plague the country. Key social concerns include crime (50%), child abuse (38%), and drug abuse (32%). AIDS is also a source of worry, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao; meanwhile teens belonging to the upper class cite climate change/global warming (39%) as a concern. They view education as a major consideration as well, with 8 out of 10 teens believing that getting ahead in life would be difficult without it.
“The results of the TRU study remind us that the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored,” added Gary de Ocampo, TNS Philippines Managing Director. “And because they represent a significant percentage of the Philippine population, teens will continue to play a big role in shaping the future of business success and the Filipino society.”
