Survey shows the emergence of the digital generation in Asia
3 octobre 2006
SINGAPORE — Leading global research company Synovate, today released the 2006 results for Synovate PAX, a survey that covers media consumption, product and service ownership, purchase intention, lifestyle and attitudes of affluent Asians.
Steve Garton, Global Head of Media for Synovate, said that today's results were especially noteworthy because they represented the tenth consecutive year of data on this group of influential consumers.
"PAX now gives us a picture of Asia's elites over the past decade. And probably the strongest trend tracked over that time is the emergence of the digital generation.
"The survey shows how digital has taken off - and taken a firm hold - among the affluent population. Digital communication was still in its early stages when we started Synovate PAX, and yet digital technology has changed lives - over the past five years in particular," he said.
Top technologies
The growth of some technologies can be traced over a ten year period. Some findings are:
- Just ten years ago, a mere 11% of affluent Asians owned laptops. In 2006, that figure has grown to 35.7%, representing a 225% increase. A further 11.3% of respondents say they will purchase a laptop or notebook in the next twelve month period
- In 1997, the first year of the Synovate PAX survey, ownership of desktop computers was 44.2%. It's now 64.1%, a rise of 45%
- The mobile phone has moved from 46.8% to 86.3% over ten years (a rise of 84%), and is much higher in some of the markets surveyed. Singapore's mobile phone ownership is 95% and Hong Kong, Sydney, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Taipei all have over 90% ownership
- Not surprisingly, the internet has enjoyed huge growth over the past ten years. It is now accessed by 71% of Synovate PAX respondents, an increase of 132% since 1997
The rise of digital
Other technologies have become prominent only within the last five years:
- MP3 players are now owned by 38.7% of affluent Asians, a growth of 116% since 2001 - with a further 7.3% intending to buy one in the next twelve months. On the flipside, the mini-disc player has suffered somewhat at the hands of the MP3 with ownership declining 34% since 2001 - 14.6% of respondents now own one
- Ownership of digital still cameras has increased 127% over the past five years, from 23.6% in 2001 to 53.6%, meaning more than half of all affluent Asians now have one. There is a further 6.1% who expect to purchase one in the next year. If you include people with digital camera functionality on their mobile phones, a hefty 72.4% of respondents now have the ability to take digital photographs
- Digital video cameras are also on the up and up. In 2001, 22.1% owned these items, rising 98% to 43.7% in 2006
- The DVD player has become an everyday consumer durable in this time frame, with 67.4% ownership in 2006, up 80% from 37.5% in 2001
- Another growth area in terms of digital technology is flat screen and plasma / LCD TVs. Flat screen TV ownership has increased 136% in a six year period (43.2% now own one) and plasma / LCD TVs are now owned by 17.6% of respondents - a rise of 120% over five years
Craig Harvey, Director of Media Research for Synovate in Asia Pacific, said the data throws up interesting challenges for technology marketers.
"Affluent Asians now do business on the go and accept this technology as a key part of their everyday life. Many people already have the products they need, meaning marketers should be looking at ways to communicate new features and functions to these elite consumers.
"If you look at the purchase intention data, some technology product categories have dropped over time. Many of these items may be reaching the mature end of their product lifecycle among the affluents, including mobiles without internet access, desktop computers and PDAs. However, other products - like mobiles with internet access and MP3 players - are growing.
"Laptops have maintained steady growth the entire time, probably because they are an essential business tool and need to be kept up-to-date," he said.
Mr Garton added that Synovate PAX continually updates its information so that marketers can stay on top of trends.
"The trends we've discussed here are largely retrospective. But of course trends are all the more powerful when you can see them as they happen. The beauty of Synovate PAX is that media owners, planners and marketers are always across what's happening in the world of affluent Asians right now," he said.
Notes to editor
- The trend figures in this release cover the ten year period that Synovate PAX has been running, unless otherwise stated. The 1997 figures cover seven markets of Asia and the latest 2006 figures cover ten markets (Tokyo, the 11th market, is excluded from the analyses as only TV consumption is measured). All figures have been weighted to be fully representative of affluent Asians.
- Please see attached media releases and fact sheets for specific information about media, attitudes, brands, lifestyle, high-end product ownership and the future purchase intentions across the region.
The available releases and fact sheets are called:
- Synovate PAX - Ten years of Asian consumption
- Singapore affluent on the rise
- Synovate PAX Q2 2006 regional media reach
- Media habits, attitudes and lifestyle of affluent Asians
- Comparing Asia's elite
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 |
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May Tan
Project Director |
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Tel: +65 6430 6807 |
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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 6,400 staff across 62 countries.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.