Synovate survey looks at who's faking it in Hong Kong
6 April 2005
HONG KONG — SYNOVATE, a leading global research firm, today released results from a survey that looked at attitudes towards brand piracy in Hong Kong.
An overall 72 per cent of Hong Kongers agreed that there is something wrong with purchasing imitation brand name products such as handbags, jewellery or electronic products - although 42 per cent admitted they had personally purchased such products.
Jill Telford, Managing Director of Synovate Hong Kong, said the topic was a particularly intriguing one in Hong Kong given the social status conveyed by the ownership of high-end goods.
"Our results show this is not a straightforward issue in Hong Kong. People are conflicted about fakes. There's definitely overlap between those who think copies are wrong and those who admit buying bogus brands.
"It also depends on the product. For instance, only 11 per cent of Hong Kongers think imitation fragrance and electronic goods are good alternatives to the originals, but 37 per cent agree that pirate CDs and DVDs are perfectly fine alternatives," she said.
Respondents were also asked if they would have more or less respect for someone if they found out that they had an imitation or fake designer brand product.
While many people believe buying bogus is wrong, only 16 per cent of respondents said they would have less respect for someone with a fake and 81 per cent would have no difference of opinion at all.
"Brands are a very serious business in Hong Kong, but they also seem to be quite personal, with people not really caring what others do.
"The exception here is young people... the under 25s are more likely to purchase fakes than the over 25s (48 per cent versus an overall figure of 40 per cent) - and also more likely to lose respect for people who do (22 per cent versus 15 per cent). So if you're young, and can't afford the real thing, you're also more likely to be judged for any efforts to find alternatives," Ms Telford said.
The survey also looked at attitudes towards brand piracy in other parts of the world - the United States, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates.
While an overall 42 per cent of Hong Kong people admitted to purchasing a fake, this was significantly less than the other markets surveyed. Despite the US hard line on intellectual property rights, 57 per cent of Americans have purchased imitation brand name products, with figures of 80 per cent for Serbia and 81 per cent for UAE.
Ms Telford said that Hong Kong and the UAE are both virtual city-states and shopping havens.
"Both markets are important battlegrounds for every major brand on the planet. Yet the attitude to fakery is vastly different.
"The anti-piracy police around the world might profit from taking a close look how Hong Kong educates its shopping savvy population about counterfeit brands.
"Although it could well be as simple as a question of status - in a brand-conscious city like Hong Kong, people prefer the real thing to faking it," she said.
About the survey
In February 2005, a series of questions were explored via a Synovate Global Omnibus telephone survey. These are regularly conducted in over 30 countries across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A representative sample of consumers aged 15-64 were interviewed in the United States, Serbia, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
Results
1) Do you find anything wrong with purchasing imitation name brand products such as purses, jewellery, or imitation electronic products?
2) Which of the following imitation products do you think are perfectly fine alternatives to the original? (Select all that apply.)
3) Why do you think there is still a demand for imitations of these name brand products? (Select all that apply.)
4) Would you have more or less respect for a person if you found out that they had an imitation or fake name brand product? (Select one.)
5) Have you ever personally purchased an imitation name brand product? (Select one.)
Contact(s) for this press release
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Linda Collard
Director, Marketing Communications |
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9/F Leighton Centre |
Telephone: +852 2830 2588 |
Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,000 employees across 62 countries.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.