ASEAN– Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living ASEAN (HILL ASEAN), in July conducted an internet survey on changes in attitudes and behavior of sei-katsu-sha in six ASEAN countries (Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Philippines). The following is a summary of the findings of the Survey of ASEAN Sei-katsu-sha’s Attitudes to COVID-19.
At the time of the survey (July 2020), new infections of COVID-19 were stable in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, and, once again commuting to work and school, going out and shopping, people were returning to their old lives while incorporating new normal lifestyle habits. In Indonesia and the Philippines, however, daily infections were above 1,000, and the trying situation in which people faced a threat to their lives continued.
The results of the survey paint a typically ASEAN sei-katsu-sha–like picture. While most have had changes forced on their lives, they are conscious of social issues, choosing brands that make bigger contributions to medical personnel and others working to fight the pandemic, for instance, and they value interactions with others, wanting their relationships with their friends, partners and others to go back to how they were before COVID-19, even as they accept the new normal.
Key changes in lifestyle attitudes and behavior
■ Degree to which COVID-19 has impacted lives
・ My life changed: 96%.
・ 87% responded I am concerned about COVID-19 extending, for instance, through a second wave.
■ COVID-19–related criteria for selecting companies and brands
・ The top scoring items were Choose brands/companies that support health care professionals and organizations engaged in the battle with COVID-19 and Choose brands/companies that show they are taking anti-infection measures in a way that customers can easily understand (e.g., touchless thermometers/elevators) (both 85%). In addition, Choose brands/companies that use the latest technology in their anti-infection measures scored 83%.
■ About lives changed by COVID-19 (New normal vs. Pre–COVID-19)
・ Comparing Want to embrace COVID-19–related changes (= prefer the new normal) and Want to go back to how things were before COVID-19 (= prefer pre–COVID-19) responses to emotion, behavior and other items, Want to go back to how things were before COVID-19 scored over 50% for every item.
・ Items with high Want to go back to how things were before COVID-19 scores: Travel/Leisure, Relationships with friends, partner, Relationships with people around me, Child/ren’s education
Items with high Want to embrace and maintain COVID-19–related changes scores: Information gathering, Health, Relationships with family members, Mealtimes
■ Technologies they would like to utilize going forward due to COVID-19
・ In technologies they want to utilize, Working from home scored highest (64%). However, since around 60% of respondents selected Prefer pre–COVID-19 in Work in the previous question, the likelihood of people exploring new ways of working or working from home and the workplace is high.
Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living ASEAN is conducting various kinds of research into COVID-19, and has a reporting service (in Japanese, English and Thai) for companies that would like to grasp future changes in sei-katsu-sha. We look forward to hearing from interested companies.
