MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Billions of conversations take place on Twitter everyday which makes it the go-to platform for Filipinos to see and be part of #WhatsHappening in real-time. From breaking news, local entertainment, to various topics of interests; Filipinos on Twitter meaningfully connect and converse with each other that eventually help shape the Philippines’ culture and what’s next in the Philippines.
Analyzing billions of Tweets in the Philippines over a two-year period (January 2020 to December 2021), Twitter has taken a deep dive into the conversations on Twitter and shares its findings in the Philippines TwitterTrends Report 2022. The report found that Filipinos are passionate about bringing positive contributions to societal development. The findings also show that Filipinos perceive Twitter as a space for their communities’ collective reimagination — from mental wellness, fandoms, and even finance.
The Great Restoration, Force of Fandoms, and Finance Goes Social are the three major cultural themes and conversation insights that are heard on Twitter that drive and shape Philippines’ culture.
“In today’s fast paced world, it is imperative for brands to acknowledge and understand what their consumers are talking about and what interests them. The Philippines Twitter Trends Report captures two years worth of conversations on Twitter in the Philippines and lays out rich findings about the key cultural trends. These trends and conversation insights enable brands to have a better understanding on what matters most to their audience, no matter what business they are in. It also allows them to lean into the key cultural conversations to better resonate with their audience and stay ahead of what’s happening,” Preetha Athrey, marketing director, APAC, Twitter said.
The Great Restoration: Healing the planet and healing ourselves
As Filipinos are becoming more open than ever to discuss various issues and causes because of the series of lockdowns, mental health and green spaces are the two highly talked about topics on Twitter Philippines. There is a 62% increase in conversations around mental health awareness and 69% around green spaces year-on-year. The need for support in tackling mental health issues, improving overall wellness, and a place to discuss other related matters prompted Filipinos to look to Twitter for ways to take the edge off of this.
The top sub-trends to emerge within the well-being conversation are participation in discussions (+104%) and coping mechanisms (+77%). Twitter becomes an open space for kindness as conversation rises. Filipinos on Twitter are openly speaking about their mental health issues and sharing steps on how they’ve been managing them. Hashtag #UsapTayo (let’s talk) attracts and gathers many, providing them with engaging and helpful mental health-related discussions, while the gift of virtual yakaps (hugs) offers a glimpse into what mutual care for those dealing with mental health challenges can look like online.
Keeping an eye on the future, Filipinos are realizing that pivotal change is a must if their lifestyles and cities are to meet their mental and physical wellness needs. Thus, nature photography (+145%) and forest bathing (+133%) are two of the top sub-trends that emerged. Community-led campaigns like #NoToParex, for instance, exemplifies Filipinos’ resistance to projects that will negatively impact the environment, heritage, public health, and mobility.
What does this mean for brands? By finding out what matters most to their audience, brands can present themselves in more meaningful ways, especially when it comes to wellness and sustainability. Another way is for brands to showcase their sustainability milestones, use your brand’s platform to provide and support an open conversation about mental health, or even collaborate with others to drive an even bigger impact. Here are other rising topics that brands should consider to engage in: self-care (+43%), safe place (+22%), outdoor exercise (+21%), and self-reflection (+11%).
The Force of Fandoms: Fandoms spreading their wings beyond stanning
Filipino fandoms are second to none. Their passion and dedication are next-level and they’re realising that they have the power in numbers to create and drive positive change. It’s no longer “just” about stanning, but about making the world a better place. Variety and diversity are key here. With new fandoms appearing daily and conversations branching out across a multitude of topics, Filipino fandoms are not only taking over the world of entertainment and restricted to music, but also expanding to sports (NBA topshot; +171,980%), esports (Bren esports; +961%), etc. Local P-Pop groups have captured the hearts of Filipinos across the nation with a 223% increase in mentions of “P-Pop” and 40% around content streaming year-on-year. The vibrant space enables fandoms to flourish and thrive alongside one another, often attracting new audiences to Twitter. Conversations around new P-Pop groups are also growing year-on-year: Gigi Vibes (+4,706%), KAIA (+2127%), and YARA (+508%).
Fandoms are constantly evolving, and Filipinos are borrowing elements from one fandom and applying it to another. The Bayanihan culture takes its next level, where fandoms are not only bonding over passion for their idols, but promoting social good, too. #ATINProjectPagsibol, for example, was a movement driven by SB19’s fandom in support of women in farming communities.
What does this mean for brands? Through the power that Filipino fandoms hold, brands can celebrate them and find new ways to build them up and bring them close. Working with the creators or artists they support, learning and joining the conversation on what different fans are excited about, and help fandoms channel their inner power for good. Take part in these other topics around fandoms: Pokemon unite (+1,360%), fan tokens (+1,283%), Dreamers (669%), sports duos (+96%).
Finance Goes Social: Investing has entered the chat
As the Philippines is switching up its relationship with money and finances, chats around digital wallets and investment are also on the rise. Filipinos are exploring and sharing new ways to make money, spend it, and talk about it too. This results in the growth of conversations around finance in the Philippines by 201% year on year. With information on stocks, personal finance, trades, and crypto constantly racing; Filipinos stay up to date and react to what’s happening on Twitter. Some of the popular finance-related topics in the Philippines show triple-digit year-on-year conversation growth: Crypto (+466%), ETH (+288%), and $SOL (+170%).
Creativity is brewing too. With 7,290% year-on-year growth, NFTs are making their mark on the art and gaming worlds as Filipino enthusiasts take the conversation to Twitter to bring about unidimensional finance-related dialogues with a splash of fun and creativity. Play-to-earn games, such as Axie Infinity (+54,282%), have transitioned from pure investment into entertainment conversation while Filipino gamers are connecting with other players around the world.
Lastly, while traditional banks are now pushing to digitize Filipinos’ lives, digital-wallet players like GCash (+287%) had a first-mover advantage on spending habits, streamlining access, and simplifying transactions.
What does this mean for brands? Brands can leverage on this opportunity by providing avenues to educate and enhance financial literacy among Filipinos. Making the technicalities and jargons of finance topics fun and light, can make brands more entertaining, more exciting, and more inclusive. Lastly, adding value to brand campaigns by creating something meaningful for your audience or even supporting local NFT artists! Look out for growing topics like: NFT projects (+15,495%), Smooth Love Potion or SLP (+8,944%), and OpenSea (+6,284%).
On Twitter, where brand-consumer relationships are formed and nurtured, these trends will enable brands to stay ahead of #WhatsHappening and to stay culturally relevant by connecting with communities through conversations that they care about.
Check this out to read more about the findings on the conversation insights on Twitter in the Philippines.
