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MANILA – January 23 – 2013 – Almost all digital consumers in the Philippines (98 percent) follow brands online — the highest rate among the ten Asia-Pacific markets included Waggener Edstrom’s 2014 study, "Content Matters: The Impact of Brand Storytelling Online."
The study revealed that 89 percent of Filipino digital consumers actively follow their favorite mobile device brands online, 86 percent do the same for their favorite brands in the food and beverage sector, 84 percent in the personal care products sector, 84 percent in the healthcare sector, 77 percent in the consumer electronics sector, and 64 percent in the travel and tourism sector.
Of these business sectors, three appeared to be generating long term financial value. The study’s findings showed that consumers who followed brands online spent 257 percent more on related products and services (per purchase) in the healthcare sector, and 160 percent more (per year) in the travel and tourism sector, and 47 percent more (per purchase) in the mobile devices sector.
The study also found that Filipino consumers are more likely to recommend brands that they follow online, particularly brands in the mobile and healthcare sector. 27 percent of respondents said they would advocate for mobile brands they follow online, while 22 percent of respondents said they would do the same for healthcare brands.
Mobile brands also enjoyed the highest amount of brand advocates, with 48 percent of respondents saying they actively advocate for brands in this sector. Travel and tourism brands had the lowest amount, at negative 12 percent.
It was also revealed that consumers in the Philippines are highly engaged with brands online, ranking fourth for brand engagement among markets covered in the study.
88 percent of respondents said that they obtain information about products and services on social media, while 83 percent share information about products and services on social media.
Meanwhile, 83 percent use social media to look for the latest deals and promotions, and 81 percent use it to participate in contests and giveaways. The study also revealed that 73 percent of respondents click on advertisements or read advertorial content.
The study surveyed over 2,200 consumers between the ages of 15 and 60 across Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. The report also shares Asia-Pacific regional findings.
"Communications professionals across Asia find themselves under increasing pressure to prove the ROI of their investments in digital content. Our new research reveals a clear relationship between brand storytelling online and increased consumer spending, referrals, and engagement," said Stephen Tracy, APAC lead at Waggener Edstrom’s Insight & Analytics (I&A) practice. "Put simply, the more consumers engage with brand content, the more they spend on brands."
Zaheer Nooruddin, vice president of Digital at Waggener Edstrom’s Studio D in Asia-Pacific, added: "For us the real take-away is that brand owners must focus on creating rich, compelling, and relevant storytelling for their audiences in 2014. If brands succeed with creating consumer engagement through high-quality content marketing across Asian markets, then the ROI will follow."
Respondents were asked a series of questions related to how they interact with brands across different business sectors, including Travel & Tourism, Mobile Devices, Consumer Electronics and Appliances (excluding Mobile Devices), Food & Beverage products, Personal Care products, and Healthcare.
