How are consumers in APAC discovering new brands?

Businesses trying to raise awareness of their brands face a plethora of options in how to do so. These can include digital advertisements across social media and e-commerce platforms, traditional OOH billboard and posters, as well as radio, TV and OTT media streaming ads.

But through which media channels are consumers in various APAC markets most likely to discover new brands – and how does this vary by demographic segments?

Focusing on the Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia markets, this article dives into the latest research on the most popular ways that consumers across APAC have been learning about new brands over the course of the past year. 

What are the most common channels through which APAC consumers discover new brands?

Among APAC consumers who discovered new brands in the first half of 2022, more than five in seven say they have done so through search engines (42%) or social media advertisements (31%).

Analysis by age also reveals that these are the two dominant ways consumers of all ages have learned about new brands in the first half of 2022. However, while search engines are, by far, the most common way that consumers aged 35 years and older discover new brands, social media advertisements are the most common way among the youngest consumers aged 18-24 years.

Accordingly, businesses looking to launch new brands across multiple APAC markets may consider promoting their offerings through web search advertisements and on social media.

How do consumers of various ages in Australia discover new brands?

Among consumers in Australia who have discovered new brands in the first half of 2022, more than three in ten say they have done so through search engines (31%) and social media advertisements (30%) – the two most common media channels. More than a quarter also learnt about new brands via recommendations from family and friends (27%), while over a fifth cited TV advertisements (21%).

Further analysis by age reveals that social media advertisements are the most common way younger consumers aged 18-34 years discover new brands (37-50%), but search engines are the most common channel among consumers aged 35 years and older (23-39%).

Recommendations from friends and family are the second most common means for consumers of various age groups discover new brands (20-38%), except for consumers aged 35-44 years where it is third most popular (29%) after search engines and social media advertisements.

Takeaway: Accordingly, businesses looking to launch new brands in Australia may consider promoting their offerings through web search and social media advertisements, as well as affiliate marketing programs that encourage word of mouth brand recommendations.

How do consumers of various ages in Singapore discover new brands?

Among consumers in Singapore who have discovered new brands in the first half of 2022, close to two-fifths say they have done so through social media advertisements (38%). The next two most common modes of brand discovery are e-commerce websites (32%) and search engines (31%), as indicated by just under a third of consumers.

Notably, social media advertisements are the most common way that consumers of all ages in Singapore discover new brands (49-56% among 18-34 years and 29-39% among 35 years and older). While search engines are the next most common for consumers aged 18-24 years (40%) and 45-54 years (31%), e-commerce websites are the second most common means for consumers aged 35-44 years (33%) and 55+ years (28%). 

Recommendations from friends and family are the second most common channel that consumers aged 25-34 years discover new brands (41%), and third among consumers aged 18-24 years (36%) and 55+ years (24%), but ranks fourth among consumers aged 35-54 years (18-28%).

Takeaway: Accordingly, businesses looking to launch new brands in Singapore may consider promoting their offerings through social media advertisements, listing them on e-commerce marketplaces (e.g. Shopee, Lazada and Amazon), as well as web search ads.

How do consumers of various ages in Hong Kong discover new brands?

Among consumers in Hong Kong who have discovered new brands in the first half of 2022, two in five say they have done so through social media advertisements (40%). The next two most common modes of brand discovery are search engines (35%) and recommendations from family and friends (31%), as indicated by around a third of consumers.

Analysis by age reveals that social media advertisements are the most common way younger consumers aged 18-44 years discover new brands (43-47%), but search engines are the most common channel among older consumers aged 45 years and up (34-38%).

Recommendations from friends and family are the second most common means for consumers aged 25-44 years discover new brands (37-41%), while TV advertisements are the third most common way consumers aged 18-24 years (27%) and 45-54 years (31%) discover new brands.

Takeaway: Accordingly, businesses looking to launch new brands in Hong Kong may consider promoting their offerings through social media and web search advertisements, as well as affiliate marketing programs that encourage word of mouth brand recommendations.

How do consumers of various ages in Indonesia discover new brands?

Among consumers in Indonesia who have discovered new brands in the first half of 2022, more than three-fifths say they have done so through social media advertisements (61%) and e-commerce websites (61%) – the two most common media channels by far. Additionally, search engines (34%) and TV advertisements (31%) were indicated as channels of brand discovery by at least one in three consumers.

Analysis by age reveals that social media advertisements are the most common way consumers aged 18-24 years (63%) and 45-54 years (74%) have discovered new brands. But among other age groups, e-commerce websites are the most common channel: 66% among 25-34 years, 58% among 35-44 years, and 70% among 55 years and up.

Search engines are the third most common means for consumers aged 25-44 years discover new brands (36-43%). Interestingly, unlike other APAC markets, comments and reviews from other customers is the third most common way that Indonesian consumers aged 18-24 years (31%) and 55+ years (38%) have discovered new brands.

Takeaway: Accordingly, businesses looking to launch new brands in Indonesia may consider promoting their offerings through social media advertisements, as well as listing them on e-commerce marketplaces (e.g. Shopee, Tokopedia, Lazada, Bukalapak and Blibli).

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Methodology: YouGov RealTime Omnibus provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. The data is based on surveys of adults aged 18 and over in 18 markets with sample sizes varying between 513 and 2,008 for each market. All surveys were conducted online during July 2022. Data from each market uses a nationally representative sample apart from Mexico and India, which use urban representative samples, and Indonesia and Hong Kong, which use online representative samples. Learn more about YouGov RealTime Omnibus.

Australian data figures have been weighted by age, gender and region to be representative of all adults residing in Australia (aged 18+) and reflect the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population estimates. Singapore data figures have been weighted by age, gender and ethnicity to be representative of all adults residing in Singapore (aged 18+) and reflect the latest Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS) estimates. Learn more about YouGov RealTime Omnibus.

This article was originally published on YouGov, read the full article series here.