PETALING JAYA – In a special event on Wednesday August 16th, Havas Media KL launched the first edition of its brand new book series: THE LENS. A publication engineered to be a catalyst for insights and value, THE LENS will become a Havas Media iconic annual book featuring some of the most meaningful and cutting edge studies to benefit partners & clients and the industry at large.
In its first edition of THE LENS, Havas Media KL offered a deep dive into the hearts and minds of the Malaysian Millennials. This Malaysian study was part of a larger Asia Pacific effort of Havas Media Group to study and understand each country’s Millenials in their own environment in a deeper and more meaningful way.
The effort was a 2-year in-depth ethnography study of Millennials in key cities across Asia Pacific: Bangkok, Jakarta, Hongkong, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, New Delhi, Sydney, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Its primary focus was to build a Millennial “Thick Data” set – an approach that opts to take a deep and immersive understanding of each Millennial participant and the universes they revolve in.
Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO, India & South East Asia, Havas Group; Mike Amour, CEO, Asia Pacific, Havas Group; and Andreas Vogiatzaki, CEO, Malaysia, Havas Media Group
To make this study possible, a team of Anthropologists, Researchers and Strategic Planners interviewed a total of 1,430 informants to enrich the 130 millennial portraits that formed the basis of the ethnography. Each portrait was done one on one. For each portrait-informant, around five in the millennial circle comprising of family or friends, for a total of 650 were also interviewed. Using the Life-stage Approach allowed for a holistic picture of the 18-28 year old Millennial Mindset across Asia-Pacific.
In Malaysia, the Havas Media research was done by conducting an intimate journey in the lives of ten selected Malaysian Millennials, (4 Malays, 4 Chinese, 2 Indians), spending a year with them and studying them in the places they play, interact, learn, communicate, express and create. The millennial portraits were formed through one-on-one interviews and enriched with a total of 110 interactions and observations of the Millennial universe.
Across this rich and deep base, Havas Media deciphered seven Codes that drive and shape the life of the Millennials in Malaysia (while 3 codes were presented in during the launch, all 7 codes are published in THE LENS):
Code 1: Meta Me
Identity and the greater self of the Asian Millennial
Code 2: Take Pride in Passions over Profession
Purpose and fulfillment over life choices
Code 3: Negotiate Life
Engaging authority figures in the Millennial pursuit of happiness
Code 4: Into the Comfort Zone
Exploration for motivation
Code 5: For Squad Eyes Only
Ways of expression across platforms
Code 6: Reformat, Reboot, Delete
The nature of Millennial relationships
Code 7: Trust in the Cloud
Shifts from Physical to virtual transactions
These 7 codes provide unique insights into the life of our home-grown Millennials, revealing their deepest secrets, needs and wants.
Commenting on the study and THE LENS launch, Andreas Vogiatzakis, CEO of Havas Media Group Malaysia said “this research is uniquely and immeasurably useful. It adds a higher value dimension to our existing knowledge on this well researched topic, as we have spent a year with them, day in and out, to study where they live, play, dream, create and shape our future. Understanding real insights to the Millennials is crucial to Havas Media because we are committed to deliver content that is firmly rooted in robust insights and understanding, and thus enable us to really add value to our clients’ business by connecting consumers and brands in more meaningful ways”.
Andreas concluded, “simply put, as a group, Millennials are a powerful force to be reckoned with, and here we have cracked the codes that make the Malaysian Millennials click. And this is powerful knowledge indeed!”
