Grey Group Asia Pacific has its ‘Eye on Asia’

The current economic environment has not dampened spirits in Asia as Asians remain optimistic about the future despite growing uncertainties. This and other observations on the hopes and aspirations of people in 16 countries across the Asia Pacific region are highlighted in Grey Group Asia Pacific’s ‘Eye on Asia’ study for 2009.

A proprietary initiative of Grey Group, ‘Eye on Asia’ aims to determine the powerful underlying trends and human truths that will shape branding and communications now and in the future. The research examines three areas of life for Asians – Lifestyle, Present and Future Aspirations, and Consumerism and Communications.

Recognised as an annual predictor of trends, ‘Eye on Asia’ gets closer to the people of Asia, understanding what they want from life by exploring a broad range of topics, such as attitudes about work, family, finances, the environment and their value systems, as well as brands and marketing.

This year, Grey Group has identified a series of ‘eye-sights’ that are critical focus points for business owners and marketers seeking to build successful branded businesses within Asia.

Some key findings include:
Optimism: Asians remain optimistic about the future despite growing uncertainties.

Consistently inconsistent: Five distinct segments have been identified across the region.

Future Finance: Asians are concerned about household finances and saving actively for their future.

CFO: Mothers as Chief Family Officers face new challenges and conflicts with their multiplicity of roles.

For the 2009 study, Grey Group also conducted an in-depth retail ethnographic probe, which illustrates how current sentiments drive shopping behaviour in diverse cultures and channels.

Now in its fourth year, ‘Eye on Asia’ has interviewed over 33,000 people from Australia, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Nirvik Singh, Grey Group Asia Pacific’s Chairman & CEO, said, “The accelerating age that we live in necessitates a focus on people and brands. People in Asia are looking for symbols, deeper emotions and psychological benefits in their lives. Marketers should respond to this by taking a closer look at what motivates people as well as what they want from their lives in the future to create innovative, distinct and impactful messages.

“More than ever before, marketers need to understand people are evolving attitudes and behaviours to get ready for new opportunities when the market rebounds. Grey Group’s ‘Eye on Asia’ study is built on the notion that listening to and building emotional bonds with consumers will enable business owners to differentiate their brands in this Asian century,” Singh added.

Bindu Sethi, National Planning Director, India, Grey Group, said, “The study offers new building blocks, which are a great starting point to approach any marketing and communication task for brands across categories.”